She has proven her resolve more than anyone of her age should have, and Liezl Gouws is ready to prove it again. This fourth-year pharmacy student from the North-West University (NWU), who has cerebral palsy after suffering a stroke as a five-year-old, will represent South Africa at the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Liezl will compete in the 200 m and 400 m events in the T37 category. She holds the world record in the 800 m event, but the 800 m will not be contested in the Land of the Rising Sun.

“It feels unreal, it still has not sunk in yet,” she says from the OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg. It is Thursday afternoon, 19 August. Soon her plane will depart for a stopover in Ethiopia before embarking on a 16-hour flight to Tokyo. She will disembark in Tokyo on Saturday morning at 01:00 South African time.  

“It has been such a long road getting here. I feel like I am the most prepared that I have ever been. I am in the best shape ever and I am looking to end at least in the top five in the 400 m.”

The heats and the finals of the 200 m event will take place on 27 August, while the heats and finals of the 400 m will be held on 31 August. A lot has been said about the high temperatures and humidity in Japan, but she is not fazed by that boiling-pot prospect.

“I’m a big summer person, so I am actually looking forward to the heat. I will just make sure that I have enough water and that I stay hydrated,” she explains with a laugh. The same goes for the Covid-19 restrictions: “No, it does not really bother me. It is not ideal, but we are aware of what awaits us, so it should not be a problem. It is not going to be 2016 in Rio though!” she chuckles with reference to her previous Games.

She is also well aware of the amount of backing she will have all those miles from home: “The support from the university has been amazing and I am so appreciative of all the support and love from my family and friends in Potchefstroom. I have got a big team of supporters behind me.”

Liezl Gouws.