Last night, Tatjana Schoenmaker deservedly received the award as the Tuks Bestmed Sportswoman of the Year.
She continued to be a trailblazer for South African swimming when she won the 200m-breaststroke during the World Aquatics World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Schoenmaker is the first female swimmer to be crowned world champion.
Since 2017, there has not been a year in which Schoenmaker has not medalled at a major international event. The UP-Tuks Alumni have the distinction of also winning gold at the World Student Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games in the 200m-breaststroke.
But there is more to Schoeman than winning medals. Most afternoons in the Tuks swimming pool, she encourages youngsters to dream big. Through her experiences, she wants to help swimmers not to repeat the mistakes she made.
Christian de Klerk, who won silver in the compound archery competition during the World Student Games in Chengdu, is the Tuks Bestmed Sportsman of the Year.
He ascribed his breakthrough to doing the small things right. To him, it is all about marginal gains.
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 on the UP 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 Champs and South Africa’s Indoor Compound Championships.
Marli Viljoen is the Tuks Bestmed Student Sportswoman of the Year. She won the 400 metres during the World Student Games. Trevor de Lora, who was outstanding during the USSA Hockey Tournament, is the Tuks Bestmed Student Sportsman of the Year.
Ilze Wicksell, who coaches Viljoen, is the Tuks Bestmed Coach of the Year in Individual Sports.
Jenny van Dyk is the “Midas touch” coach. The results are proven. It is why she is the Tuks Bestmed Coach of the Year in Team Sports.
UP-Tuks was victorious in the Varsity Netball Tournament, winning nine games on the trot. In December last year, she helped Botswana to win the Singapore Nations Cup. Still, that is not all. Van Dyk was part of the coaching team that coached South Africa’s under-18 Fast Five team to win silver in Trinidad & Tobago.