WATCH: A nation celebrates new golden girl Tatjana Schoenmaker
From Laerskool Fairland to world record breaker
Olympic dreams are as numerous as the stars in the sky but only the finest few achieve that twinkle that only champions can possess.
In the early hours of a July 30 South African morning, family, friends and every South African in between had their attention on a swimming pool halfway around the world. From Laerskool Fairland to Hoërskool Noordheuwel and then onto high-performance specialists, TuksSport High School, Roodepoort-native Tatjana Schoenmaker was about to win the hearts of a nation in Tokyo.
Having won gold in the 200m breaststroke at the Australian-hosted Commonwealth Games back in April 2018, Tatjana came into Tokyo 2020 firmly on her opponents’ radar. Just five years ago, Tatjana was denied Olympic qualification by fractions of a second, but after subsequent years of meticulous preparation, body-numbing commitment and iron-willed determination, her Olympic dream would finally be realised.
The first step to her golden moment would be silver-lined, placing second in the women’s 100m breaststroke just 27 hundredths of a second behind her American opponent. Taking the starting block in the women’s 200m final, Tatjana found herself neck and neck with Lilly King through the final 50m, their green and black swimming caps bobbing in tandem, separated by just one lane.
Summoning all her remaining energy for the final 15 metres, Tatjana put daylight between her and King to get her fingers to the wall first, becoming the quickest woman ever to have done so. It would take her a moment to realise, but Tatjana was now the event’s world record holder with a time of 2.18.95, almost a full second ahead of her nearest rival.
Guiding her for the past eight years is Head of TuksSwimming, Rocco Meiring. Asked when he first knew the now 24-year-old Tatjana had what it took to reach the very top, he said, “It was by the second year that she was with me, when she broke Olympic finalist, Suzaan van Biljon’s African junior records”. Patience, courage, competitiveness, fearlessness, and the ability to deal with pain are all characteristics Rocco attributes to the new golden girl.
Congratulations, @TRSchoenmaker on your golden performance in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic pool. Following your silver medal, you have now struck gold, with a world record as a crowning glory. You’re an absolute star. Well done! South Africa celebrates with you. pic.twitter.com/s912pJ0SwB
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) July 30, 2021
Nurturing in aspects away from the pool is essential to reaching the sporting stratosphere, as Rocco explained. “You need parents who reinforce patience, are supportive, and allow the child to fail on condition that they try their best. Tatzi is a product of fantastic parents who supported her, but never became obsessive-compulsive about her swimming, nor did they start thinking that they were actually competing themselves.”
Tatjana may not have been born when Penny Heyns won gold in the same event at Atlanta 1996 but she has lit a spark that has ignited a flame that, like the Olympic torch, burns endlessly for anyone who dares. The resources needed to earn an Olympic gold medal cannot be bought as they come from inside anyone who reaches high, no matter where they live.
You leave me Speechless and make me 🥲. Well done Tatjana.
1st Gold for RSA female swimmer in 25years
1st WR for RSA female swimmer in 22years
1st Gold for Team SA at Tokyo 2020
… and all in Breaststroke! So proud of you Tatjana. Congratulations Rocco pic.twitter.com/NOzzDzHiR7— Penny Heyns (@pennyheyns) July 30, 2021
