INSPIRATIONAL: South African Natalie Du Toit on her way to breaking her own Paralympics women's 100 meters butterfly world record

She carried the flag for her country during the Olympic opening ceremony, testimony to the high esteem in which she is held by her team, her nation and the sporting community. And she came to Beijing determined to live her dream to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympic Games.

In South Africa, swimmer Natalie Du Toit, 24, is a heroine and an example of determination in motion. Losing her left leg in a motor accident seven years ago, the young woman with the swimming world at her feet set her mind on glory in the water despite this devastating setback.

This month that dream came true. At the Beijing Paralympics, Du Toit won gold in the five events she participated in -100 meters butterfly, 100 meters freestyle, 200 meters individual medley, 400 meters freestyle and 50 meters freestyle, making her the most decorated athlete at the Beijing Paralympics.

But a month before Du Toit had been making headlines at the Olympics itself, when she took on the cream of the world's able-bodied long-distance swimmers in the women's 10 kilometers open-water marathon, the first swimming marathon in Olympic history.

It's a tough event, characterized by jostling for position with no quarter asked or given. No special allowance was made for this disabled athlete. Du Toit gritted her way to 16th place, beating nine other swimmers in the field of 25, an amazing feat in itself. She immediately became a media darling.

But the road to Beijing had been one lined with obstacles.

Crushed but not beaten

In her youth Du Toit was one of the most promising swimmers in South Africa who lived for the day she could compete at the Olympics. In the 2000 Sidney Games, Du Toit, then a teenager, entered the finals of three events during the qualifiers narrowly missing the mark. But most people in the swimming business believed that it was just a matter of time before Du Toit took her place on the world's biggest sporting stage. Then in 2001 her world fell apart. One her way from a training session a car reversed into Du Toit's motor cycle, crushing her leg in the process.

Doctors spent a week trying to save her leg, but despite their best efforts the leg was eventually amputated below the knee.

At 17, Du Toit's life changed forever. "That was really a difficult time. I often cried in frustration," Du Toit recalled, expressing frustration when people looked at her stump or her prosthetic leg before they looked at her face.

Her teammates expressed their compassion and sympathy, but all Du Toit wanted was to return to her normal life. The second day after the operation, she began to walk, and only three months later, she returned to the swimming pool, to the disbelief of her parents.

Her first attempts at swimming were traumatic as she had to learn how to balance her body and exhaustion came quickly. To compensate for her leg Du Toit worked on improving her upper body strength. Everyday, after two training sessions in the pool, she also swam several km in the sea. Gradually, her left arm has gotten so strong that it has somewhat made up for the lost strength in her left leg.

Determined to pursue her Olympic dream, Du Toit took part in the 2004 Olympic qualifiers but failed. With only one leg, her weakness was that she could not accelerate or turn around very fast in the pool, which made it difficult for her to compete in short distance races. In October 2005 when the International Olympic Committee decided to add a 10-km race in open water to the Olympics, Du Toit saw new hope. She trained harder to compete in the longer distance.

Role model

Du Toit's courage has been shared with many South Africans. She is today an accomplished motivational speaker who inspires young and old alike with her positive attitude. "It is important to do your own race and not someone else's," she often tells those who ask how she has achieved so much.

While she admits that her disability has brought about inconveniences, the message Du Toit sends to other disabled people is that "God helps those who help themselves."

Currently, Du Toit is a student of University of Cape Town, majoring in Sport Management and Genetics. When she is not in training or school, she often goes to hospital to visit and encourage disabled persons.

During her interview with Beijing Review, Du Toit revealed a secret. After the car accident, her mother received an anonymous check from China. She said she was grateful for the care shown by the Chinese people. Du Toit expressed her sympathy for the victims of the Sichuan earthquake and wanted to tell the children there to believe in themselves and live their dreams. She plans to visit Sichuan in the future.