Ernst van Dyk

Ernst Francois van Dyk OIS is a South African wheelchair racer and handcyclist. He has won a recordwheelchair titles in the Boston Marathon. He was also awarded the Laureus World Sports Awards for Sportsperson with a Disability of the year for 2006. At the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, he won a bronze medal in the 400 metres. At the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, he won a silver medal in the 800 metre race, another silver in the 1500 metres, and a bronze in the 5000 metres. At the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing van Dyk won gold in the handcycling road race as well as bronze in the wheelchair marathon. Other handcycling achievements include Obtaining a silver and bronze medal at the 2009 UCI World Championships held in Italy and taking double gold at the 2007 UCI World Championships held in Bordeaux.

Van Dyk was born with congenital absence of both legs. His parents, two provinciallevel athletes, recognized his athletic abilities and encouraged sports participation. At first he went to school in GraaffReinet, but the school couldnt cater for him. He then attended the Elizabeth Conradie School for disabled children in Kimberley. He competed as a swimmer nationally in his teens. In 1992 he enrolled in Stellenbosch University and competed in the Barcelona Paralympics as a swimmer and wheelchair athlete. Thereafter, he concentrated on wheelchair athletics.

Source: Wikipedia