The two-time Paralympian was one of the stars of the Beijing 2008 Paralympics winning five gold medals but is aiming to go even better in London. 

In an interview with The Paralympian, the official magazine of the International Paralympic Comitttee (IPC), du Toit has revealed she started her preparations for London at last year’s IPC Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

Du Toit said: “London 2012 will be the end of my swimming career.

“The reason I did all of the events at the World Championships in Eindhoven was because I want to do all the events at the Paralympics.

“I haven’t swum the 100m breaststroke since the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, and it’s crazy because no other leg amputees swim breaststroke. 

“And the 100m backstroke I also want to do because I didn’t compete in it in Beijing.”

In an interview with The Paralympian du Toit talks about how within three years of losing her lower left leg in a motorbike accident she had won five gold and one silver medal at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.

She also highlights her aspirations to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 and her career plans once she’s retired from swimming. 

The full interview with Natalie du Toit is printed in the latest edition of The Paralympian which can be found at www.paralympic.org/Media_Centre/News/Paralympian.

World 50 metres breaststroke record-holder Cameron van der Burgh and Olympic relay gold medallists Roland Schoeman, Darian Townsend and Lyndon Ferns are among the team for Italy (July 17-August 2).

Swimming SA have been able to go the extra mile to send all 19 swimmers who posted world championship A level qualifying times at the Telkom SA National Aquatics Championships in Durban last month.

Additional assistance for the team has come from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund and Telkom.

Van der Burgh, who set a world best of 27.06sec in the 50m breaststroke at national championships, will compete in the 50 and 100m breaststroke events, while Schoeman, who joined Townsend, Ferns and Ryk Neethling in the gold medal-winning performance in the 4×100 metres relay at the Athens Olympics in 2004, will compete in the 50 and 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly.

Ferns, who will compete in the 50 and 100m freestyle and 100 metres butterfly, showed fine form at the national championships, on the comeback from a hernia operation in January.

Other swimmers who will be out to make the most of the world championships campaign include Capetonians in Sebastien Rousseau, who bettered his continental record in the 200m butterfly to 1:55.51 in Durban, and Chanelle van Wyk, who set an African best of 28.55 in the 50m backstroke.

US-based Wendy Trott, who took her African record in the 1500m freestyle to 16:10.97 at the national showpiece, will also be a part of the national team, as will Durbanite Riaan Schoeman, who clocked 4:12.07 to eclipse the 400m individual medley continental best of Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia which had stood at 4:13.47.

The Westville Boys High pair of Charl van Zyl (50m backstroke) and Chad le Clos will be making their senior world championship debuts after fine performances at junior international galas last year.

Van Zyl, who posted a world championship qualifying time of 25.71 in the 50m backstroke, got among the medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games held in Pune, India last year, in winning the 50m backstroke (26.52), finishing second in the 100m backstroke (58.87) and claiming bronze in the 200m backstroke (2:05.02).

Le Clos, who clocked a 400m individual medley qualifying time of 4:17.62 to book his place in the SA team for swimming action in Rome, won the 200m breaststroke (2:21.00) and 200m individual medley (2:04.88) at the Commonwealth Youth event.

Also included are Soweto breaststroke star Thabang Moeketsane (50 and 100m breaststroke) and the highly promising Darren Murray for the 200m backstroke.

Murray finished second in the 50m backstroke (26.60secs) and 200m backstroke (2:04.05) as well as third in the 100m backstroke (57.06) at the Commonwealth Youth Games held in Pune, India last year.

Says Arena Marketing Director Giuseppe Musciacchio: “The decision to bring on board a young champion as Cameron van der Burgh is a confirmation of Arena’s commitment to select and support the best swimming talents at world-wide level.”

Van der Burgh, who is still just 21 and is coached by Dirk Lange (who was in charge of the South African team in Beijing but didn’t have his ciontract renewed and has subsequently become head coach of his native Germany), broke three world records last year in the Blueseventy suit as he charged up the rankings. He was also named Fina World Cup swimmer of the year for 2008.

Van der Burgh will join Alain Bernard, Cesar Cielo, Laszlo Cseh, Milorad Cavic, Alexander Dale Oen, Yuri Prilukov, Otylia Jedrzejczak and others in the new-look Team Arena stable as he falls in line with his nation’s official kit contract. Team South Africa will wear the Italian brand until, at least, London 2012. 

Ther had been a call from mainly European coaches to outlaw the Blueseventy as they felt it was a “flotation device”. However, the process and verdict is a long one and won’t ne known any time soon.

Van der Burgh is adamant that he’s in the best company by switching to Arena. “I finished 2008 was with outstanding results, with the world records achieved during the Fina World Cup, which prove my extremely good shape at this moment. The possibility to co-operate with Arena, a leading technical partner that can offer the most advanced and innovative technology, represents for me a clear acknowledgement of the sports results achieved in the last two years, as well as a strong motivation to do even better in the future.”

Added Musciacchio: “Arena Elite Team key objective is to get the most out of a superb mix of Olympic stars and young champions of the future. Cameron is absolutely at the cutting edge of South African swimming.