South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmake sports woman of the year
South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmaker wins the swimming women's 200m breaststroke final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Optus Aquatic Centre in the Gold Coast on April 7, 2018 / AFP PHOTO / FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images)

Home » Tatiana Schoenmaker Crowned South African Sports Star of the Year

Tatiana Schoenmaker Crowned South African Sports Star of the Year

Dominant breaststroke swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker won the South African Sportswoman of Year award as well as the South African Sports Star of the Year award in Durban. This year Schoenmaker won a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke during the World Championships in Korea. It was the first time that a local swimmer medalled at […]

By Guest Contributor
11-11-19 14:16
in Fab South African Stuff
South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmake sports woman of the year
South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmaker wins the swimming women's 200m breaststroke final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Optus Aquatic Centre in the Gold Coast on April 7, 2018 / AFP PHOTO / FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images)

Dominant breaststroke swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker won the South African Sportswoman of Year award as well as the South African Sports Star of the Year award in Durban.

South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmake sports woman of the year
South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker wins the swimming women’s 200m breaststroke final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Optus Aquatic Centre in the Gold Coast on April 7, 2018 / AFP PHOTO / FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images)

This year Schoenmaker won a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke during the World Championships in Korea. It was the first time that a local swimmer medalled at a world long course championship (50m).

The Tuks swimmer also won two gold medals (100m as well as 200m breaststroke) at the World Student Games in Napoli, Italy…. AND won two gold medals at the Tokyo World Cup (100m and 200m breaststroke).

Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi capped a brilliant year for the Springboks by walking away with two coveted SA Sport Awards in Durban on Sunday evening, a week after they won the Rugby World Cup and cleaned up at the World Rugby Awards in Japan.

Erasmus was named Coach of the Year, while Kolisi was voted South Africa’s favourite by claiming the People’s Choice Sports Star of the Year award.

The late former Springbok winger and Rugby World Cup winner in 1995, Chester Williams, who passed away earlier this year, was posthumously honoured at the awards ceremony with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Deputy Minister of Sport, Nocawe Noncedo Mafu, was delighted that so many sportsmen and women had brought joy to the people of South Africa over the past year.

“The winners and the people that have actually shone in this year, because what sport does for South Africa, because South Africa has got a very negative history, and things that are positive and need to be celebrated, we need to embrace them – and these sports awards came just at the right time.

“You will all agree that the positive vibe has actually been topped up by the hours themselves, so it’s been a good year,” said Mafu.