Tatjana Schoenmaker of TuksSwimming deservedly received the Bestmed Sportswoman of the Year Award at the 2023 TuksSport Colours and Awards held on Friday, October 27.

She continued to be a trailblazer for South African swimming when she won the 200-metre breaststroke during the World Aquatics World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July 2023. Schoenmaker is the first South Africa female swimmer to be crowned world champion.

According to Schoenmaker, she did not expect to medal at Worlds as the last two years, since she won gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games, have been a roller coaster of ups and downs.

Olympian and UP alumna Tatjana Schoenmaker has medalled at a major international event every year since 2017. (Image: Reg Caldecott)

"I was pretty emotional before the 200m-breaststroke final. In not one of my events did I rank in the top three, and I have not come close to swimming the times I swam at the Olympic Games in the build-up. So, I only had one goal, and that was not to be scared of the opportunity. To win was utterly amazing."

Rocco Meiring, Schoenmaker's coach, said the next big goal would be to see if she can defend her 200m-breaststroke title at the Paris Olympic Games.

If she does, she will be the first South African athlete (male or female) to win the same event at two consecutive Olympic Games.

Meiring is, however, realistic about the challenges that await Schoenmaker.

"The women's 100m and 200m breaststroke events are genuinely competitive. It was illustrated during the World Aquatics Championships in Japan. Only two swimmers who contested the 2020 Summer Olympics 200m-breaststroke final were in action in Japan. They were Tatjana and Lilly King (USA),” he said.

More to Schoenmaker than winning medals

Since 2017, there has not been a year in which Schoenmaker has not medalled at a major international event. The University of Pretoria (UP) alumna has had the distinction of winning gold at the 2019 World University Games, the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the 200-metre breaststroke.

But there is more to Schoenmaker than winning medals. With most of her afternoons spent in the TuksSwimming pool, she encourages the youngsters she meets there to dream big. Through her experiences, she wants to help swimmers not repeat the mistakes she made.

Professor Themba Mosia, UP Interim Vice-Chancellor and Principal, was present at the TuksSport Awards and highlighted TuksSport's mission to provide outstanding services and programmes to students, staff and the wider UP community, fostering talent development for participation at recreational, competitive and elite levels.

"We emphasise that while excelling in sports is essential, we also value the pursuit of academic goals in our endeavour to nurture capable leaders with global impact. Your exceptional performance both on and off the field serves as a powerful showcase of our university, reinforcing our commitment to achieving a harmonious blend of being a top-tier athlete and an engaged student. This delicate equilibrium owes its success to the time, dedication and meticulous attention to detail exhibited by each individual in this room, as well as those working diligently behind the scenes."

In November 2023 Christian de Klerk won three gold medals in the compound archery competitions during the African Archery Championships. (Image: Reg Caldecott)

Christian de Klerk of TuksArchery, who won silver in the compound archery competition during the World University Games in Chengdu, China, is the Bestmed Sportsman of the Year.

He attributed his breakthrough to doing the little things right.

Three archery gold medals for De Klerk

"I am a firm believer in marginal gains. That is why I have a specific goal every time I train. I will keep on it until I have mastered what I have set out to do. The positive spinoff of doing this is that because I am so focused all the time during training, it enables me to pick other small things in my technique that I need to improve.

"Something else I have worked on is having a positive mindset. To have any chance of winning, you have to believe in your abilities."

Those who follow South African archery won't be too surprised by De Klerk's heroics. Last year, in November, he won three gold medals in the compound archery competitions during the African Archery Championships held at the Hillcrest Sports Campus. He was the men's champion, winning the men's team competition with his dad. He was also victorious in the mixed category.

De Klerk also won gold at the African Field Archery Championships and South Africa's Indoor Compound Championships.

Marli Viljoen is the Best Student Sportswoman of the Year. She won the 400 metres at the Chengdu 2021 World University Games in China. Trevor de Lora, who was outstanding during the 2022 Varsity Hockey and 2023 USSA Hockey Championships, is the Best Student Sportsman of the Year.

Ilze Wicksell, who coaches Viljoen, is the Coach of the Year in the Individual Sports category.

Believing in the power of sport

"Midas touch" TuksNetball head coach Jenny van Dyk is the Tuks Coach of the Year in the Team Sports category. UP was victorious in the Varsity Netball Tournament, winning nine games on the trot. In December last year, she helped Botswana win the Singapore Nations Cup. Van Dyk was also part of the coaching team that coached South Africa's under-18 Fast Five team to win silver in Trinidad and Tobago.

TuksNetball is the Sports Club of the Year, while the Sports Team of the Year is TuksFootball Women in recognition of their succession as the 2022 Gauteng Sasol League champions and qualifying to compete in the Hollywoodbets Super League.

The TuksSport Director and Acting CEO of hpc, Steven Ball, presented the special awards and emphasised how the UP student-athletes, elite and junior performers, continue to represent the Stripe Generation with great pride across all levels of the sporting spectrum.

"It is about the tough conversation and environment that promote the tough balance between academic and sporting demands, as we once again saw more than 240 student-athlete graduates this year. For this, we are extremely grateful to the executive of the University and the entire senior management for continuing to believe in the power of sport and allowing us to have a seat at the table, along with being part of the future conversation."

Important note: Four categories – Student Sportsman, Student Sportswoman, Sportsman, and Sportswoman of the Year – at the 2023 TuksSport Colours & Awards were sponsored by Bestmed Medical Scheme.