World record breaker para-athlete, Simoné Kruger, a discus shooting star

JOHANNESBURG – A world champion! Simoné Kruger, 19, competed in the Kobe 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Japan, in May.

She won South Africa's second gold medal and broke the world record in the Women’s Discus with a throw of 38.82m.

Her athletics journey began 10 years ago. She was enthused by her sister while training for discus and decided to take up the discipline and realised that she had a knack for it.

At the age of 12, the youngster commenced with discuss competitions and won in most of them, thus building self-confidence in the process.

Two years later, she would go on to win a silver medal at the World Senior Paralympic Championships and broke the World F38 discus record.

Simoné has medaled twice at the World Junior Paralympic Championships. She has since dominated in the F38 class.

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.

Reflecting on her discuss world record, she revisits the emotions that came up after her feat.

“It is really a big achievement for me, because my first-round throw in the competition was a disaster and the second throw, that was the world record. With my second throw, I just wanted a mark on the board. I was completely shocked when I saw the distance and I was extremely happy to have thrown further than my previous world record,” said Simoné to Eyewitness News.

'I'm happy with my season so far,' says budding shot put & discus star, Simoné Kruger

Simone Kruger bags ASA Sportswoman of the Year award

At the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, France Kruger set the F38 discus event, with a throw of 38.1m to snatch the gold medal.

“I learned that not everything will go as planned. I got very sick a week before we had to leave for Japan and that meant that we couldn’t train. We had to learn that God was in control of every single situation that happened in Kobe, Japan. I learned that to achieve what I wanted, I had to overcome challenges that were not in my control.”

The Dubai 2019 World Championship silver medalist is trained and accompanied by her father Andries Kruger to every competition.

Andries replays the moments before his daughter broke the record. He told Eyewitness News, he and the other supporters couldn’t see Simoné’s throw as the sun was setting at that moment.

However, Andries heard her daughter scream in excitement and knew she had done something amazing.

“From a far distance, she had to shout the distance because I could not wait a second longer for this mysterious result.

"I was super excited at that moment because I knew what we went through to achieve this one. A moment that I will never forget and a picture that will stay with me forever. There is one thing that I admire about Simoné, and that is the way she shows and lives her excitement and enjoyment. It is like one big light that hits the competition and cannot be hidden.”

Earlier in the year, Simoné scooped the Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability at the Athletics South Africa Awards.

The awards celebrated the country's top-performing athletes and their efforts during the 2023 season.

While at the World Championships in Japan, Simoné was awarded Sports Women of the Year with a Disability at the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Regional 5 Silver Jubilee celebration.

She was represented by her mother, Susan, at the awards in Lusaka, Zambia, while the athlete competed in Japan.

“It was a huge honour and privilege to receive the award on her behalf and I am so proud of Simoné as a person and of all her achievements. Most importantly, I am so thankful for the Lord’s blessing and favour over Simoné’s life,” said Susan.

Talking to Eyewitness News, Susan praised her daughter for being a well-rounded and kind person on and off the field.

“The way she conducts herself on and off the field, how she treats other people and also still stay humble after all the achievements stand out to me the most. Then to stand up after a mediocre Tokyo Paralympics and come back to win the gold medal at last year’s Para Athletics World Championships and to defend the title this year, is awesome.”

In her 2023 season, Simoné 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.

Her father not only coaches her, but documents her events and other athletes at every competition he attends, with hopes that para-athletes will attract sponsors

“I want to create memories for all the athletes because that is the only picture they can take home and relive the magic with their friends, family and coaches. This also assists the athletes with their marketing on social media, which has become very important for every athlete.

"Secondly, the world needs to know about these exceptional athletes and what they have achieved. The exposure these pictures create for years to come cannot be underestimated. A sport like para athletics needs a lot of support to get to the stage it needs to be. This will also inspire young athletes to join the current champions in the years to come. Para athletics as a brand can only benefit on so many grounds.”