Down syndrome athlete is a star
Mathew has been training with his personal trainer Henco Bessenger for a year.
Another local Down syndrome athlete will compete at the SA Age Group Games in Durban on September 24 and 25.
Mathew Craig (24) has been an athlete at Con Amore School from 1999 until 2013 where his mother was a teacher.
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The Birch Acres resident won his first medal in 2003 at the Summer Games at school and has since been getting more and more medals.
His athletic skills range from shot put to 100m races, long jump and swimming. His mother, Annemarie Craig, took him to the Down Syndrome Association in Pretoria and he has been a member of the sports club since 2016.
Craig has been competing for the club and has his SA colours in shot put, javelin, discus and 800m. He will compete in the 800m, shot put and javelin at the games.
“I am very proud of my son and what he has achieved thus far. I support him through everything and I want to see him achieve much more than he already has,” said Annemarie.
Mathew has been training with his personal trainer Henco Bessenger for a year.
“We train once a week at Midstream College and for a person who trains only once a week, Mathew has made great progress,” said Bessenger. “If I can say so myself, Mathew is a force to be reckoned with.”
Bessenger said Mathew had taught him a lot through his confidence and positive spirit. “He is very confident but humble at the same time,” he said.
“Mathew is a humble soul and has a very good memory,” said his mother. His love for horses lead him to become a volunteer at Capricorn Stables in Benoni. He visits the stables at least twice a week to feed and groom the horses.
Mathew has won about 40 medals in his 15 years as an athlete and is looking forward to winning more at the Age Group Games.
