SA Paralympian Natalie du Toit spearheading youth employment

After retiring from her successful swimming career, du Toi first joined Laureus Sport as an ambassador, before recently becoming a trustee.

Speaking to SABC Sport at the Laureus Aspire17 Youth Summit, du Toit says her goal is to teach young people how to start businesses and use digital platforms to market themselves.

"I’ve just joined as a trustee, but I’ve been an ambassador for Laureus for many years, and it is funding many different programmes that make a difference in South Africa," du Toit shared.

"Often the differences are aligned with taking kids off the streets and creating safe spaces. Every initiative is different, but unemployment, unfortunately, has really been going up and down in the past few months.

"And I think, being from the generation that I am, the thought process of going out, being an entrepreneur, starting businesses, believing in yourself, believing that you can also up-skill and grow others can be very important for the new generation. 

“We are in a digital era, information is at your fingertips, the world has just changed and it’s time to think of different ways to do things."

The Capetonian made her debut at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece, where she secured five gold medals and one silver.  

Team SA secure six medals at the recently concluded Paralympics in France, and du Toit is impressed by what the athletes managed to achieve.

"A lot of people just expect medals, but the stories behind them are bigger than just the medal. Often the medal is the realisation of the negatives that became the positives," she noted.

"One thing that stood out for me in the Paralympics was that the sport was bigger than the athletes, and that perspective to see the gold medals, the bronze medals, the silver medals. 

"In South Africa, for our kids to come from where they come from, with the help that they do have, each athlete is extremely grateful for the support, be it physical support, kit, whatever it is, but there is so much more that can be done. 

"Being able to compete against the rest of the world, just like the other countries do, you know we don’t do that often. So, to see Team South Africa breaking world records, our very own South African breaking a Paralympic record – so much more can be done when we focus on development."

READ: Mpumelelo Mhlongo calls for financial backing for Para-athletes