Paralympic Tuks swimmer, Danika Vyncke, is visually impaired and was bullied at school, but for her, the glass will always be half full and not half empty.
“Someone once said to me, ‘ It is not that you have a disability, you just have other abilities. ‘ I fully agree with it. I have had many more positive experiences from lessons learned than negative ones. I know now that adversity makes you stronger.
Vyncke is one of the Tuks swimmers competing in the Glasgow Games from Friday. She will be in action in the S13 class in the 50 and 100 metre freestyle events.
At the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, she swam the final of the 100m breaststroke. Unfortunately, the 100m breaststroke for the S13 class swimmers is not part of the Glasgow program.
“I like the shorter events. Freestyle is my second-best stroke. Butterfly and backstroke are the ones I struggle with. My goal is to qualify for the finals, because, as they always say, then anything is possible. It is important not to put too much pressure on yourself beforehand.”
Vyncke was diagnosed with Stargardt disease in primary school. It is a rare, inherited genetic eye disorder that causes progressive central vision loss. Her younger sister, Ivana, also has the disease. Students and teachers severely bullied them. It got so bad that her parents decided it would be better if they were homeschooled.
“It was important to my mother that we sisters had to do something to become part of a group. We then started swimming. My dad was a very good swimmer himself. He just missed out on qualifying for the Commonwealth Games when he was in his prime.
“I did not start out swimming with the idea of being competitive. I only realised at the age of 14 that I have the talent to be good. The biggest obstacle at first was that I refused to accept my disability. I wanted to compete against the able-bodied swimmers.
“Once I had made peace that I had to compete in the Paralympic categories, I found a sense of purpose. If I could talk to the younger version of myself now, my advice would be: accept your condition. It is not going to change. The chances of there being a cure in my lifetime are slim. That is the reality.
“Just because you have a disability does not mean you can’t set yourself goals. You can inspire others by living your dreams, living life to its fullest.
“The one thing I have to mention is that I have never been happier as a swimmer than I am now at Tuks. I have been fully accepted. The support you get from your fellow swimmers is amazing. When you swim at Tuks, you are part of the team.”
