Paula vies for provincial sport award
“She is up against two strong contenders but this category is judged purely on merit.”
Paula van Zyl is among the province’s top sportswomen.
Paula was nominated by KwaZulu-Natal Aquatics, to join two other top athletes at the KZN Sports Awards, in the category KZN Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability.
The prestigious awards took place in Durban on Tuesday.
During an interview on Saturday, Paula said she was also eligible for the Sports Personality of the award, which is decided through public vote.
She admitted she was uncertain about her chances in the competition.
However, Paula believed she had given herself the best possible chance of winning through her swimming achievements during the year.
“Being nominated is an achievement on its own.”
In addition, Paula said winning the provincial award would be amazing, considering what she had accomplished in a short space of time.
“She is up against two strong contenders but this category is judged purely on merit,” added Paula’s mother, Elke.
The awards were streamed through various social media platforms during Tuesday afternoon and were also covered in a delayed broadcast on SuperSport on Tuesday night.
By Wednesday morning, the news was in.
Elke confirmed Paula had unfortunately not won either category, but agreed being nominated for a provincial accolade was a huge achievement.
“We are very proud of Paula!” she concluded.
