The young Tuks student, Tatjana Schoenmaker, deservedly won the South African Sportswoman of Year-award as well as the South African Sports Star of the Year award last week at the South African Sports Awards, which was presented in Durban.

Since 2017 she has been one of the trailblazers of South African women’s sport who has been consistently pushing the boundaries getting faster and better nearly every time she competes.

This year it would seem Schoenmaker could do nothing wrong. She was responsible for one of the most significant breakthroughs in South African women’s sport when she won a silver medal in the 200m-breaststroke during the World Championships in Korea. It was the first time that a local swimmer medalled at a world long course championship (50m).

The Tuks swimmer also won two gold medals (100m as well as 200m breaststroke) at the World Student Games in Napoli, Italy. To top it all, she also won two gold medals at the Tokyo World Cup (100m and 200m breaststroke).

Schoenmaker’s times in the 200m-breaststroke bear’s testimony to her establishing herself as one of the world’s best.  In 2017 her personal best time was 2:24.61. Last year it was 2:22.02. During this year’s World Championships in Korea, she swam 2:21.79. She swimmer is currently jointly the eight fastest in the world in the event.

South Africa’s national swimming coach, Graham Hill, was one of the first to congratulate Schoenmaker.

“Well done. It has been a great team effort. Stay focused. You guys are eight months away from something special. Believe me; it will be here quicker than you think,” Hill said to Schoenmaker in a text message.

He was referring, of course, to the Olympics, which will take place next year in Tokyo, Japan.

Schoenmaker has been raking in the awards this year, but she will never be blaze about it.

“Every award I received is special. At times it is still hard to believe that I am considered to be one of the best. I am not always sure whether I inspire young female swimmers. I can only hope so. I will certainly continue trying to do my best whenever I compete. The most important thing every young swimmer should realise is that nothing is impossible. They only got to believe and be prepared to put in the long and hard hours,” she said after receiving the award.

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