Simone Kruger bags ASA Sportswoman of the Year award
The 18-year-old dominated the 2023 season by rewriting history in the F38 discus event, setting a new world record with a throw of 38.1m to snatch the gold medal at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, France.
South Africa’s top para-athlete Simone Kruger scooped the Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability at the ASA (Athletics South Africa) Awards.Picture: Andries Kruger/ Facebook
JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s top para-athlete Simone Kruger scooped the Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability at the Athletics South Africa Awards.
The awards celebrate the country's top-performing athletes and their efforts during the 2023 season.
“This award means a lot to me because even though this is the second time they held the awards; it is the first time that they have also given para-athletes awards. It’s just amazing that they give recognition to all these talented people to recognise what they have done,” said Kruger.
The 18-year-old dominated the 2023 season by rewriting history in the F38 discus event, setting a new world record with a throw of 38.1m to snatch the gold medal at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, France.
In the same season, she recorded two South African and two African records in two sporting codes - shot put and discus - at the Winelands International Para Athletics Competition recently held in Stellenbosch.
Talking to Eyewitness News about her plans for the sporting year Kruger said: “We want to do four big events the first being the Winelands International competition in Stellenbosch. The next stop will be the SASAPD National Championships and in May I want to compete at the World Champs in Kobe Japan.
“Lastly, the big event for the year is the Paris, 2024 Paralympics. I think all of these events I want to bring back a gold medal or a world record, but we’ll see what happens.”
The Winelands International is an opportunity for African para-athletes to start the competition year. It is also one of only two local platforms, the other being the Sports Association for the Physically Disabled National Championships, where para-athletes can qualify for world events such as the Para Athletics Championship in Kobe, Japan and the biggest event of the year the Paralympic Games in Paris, France.
“My message to all the athletes that are trying to make it to Paris, is work hard, put all the effort in, you can give it everything and what will happen will happen. It is God‘s plan.”
The Dubai 2019 World Championship silver medalist took up shot put and discus at only eight and nine, respectively, competing for the first time when she was 10 and she came fifth at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in the discus throw.
“To all the young athletes out there, never give up, if you put in the effort, your hard work may become a reality.”
The athlete matriculated last year and told Eyewitness News that all she intends to focus on this year is her sporting career.
“I wrote matric last year and taking a gap year this year so there isn’t going to be a lot of school involved. Sports is going to be the main focus I’m going to be training hard and preparing for the big events.”
Kruger scooped two medals at the World Junior Paralympic Championships, and among other things has broken the World F38 Discus record.
The F38 is for field athletes with coordination and movement affected to a low degree in the lower trunk and legs, down one side or the whole body.