Simone Kruger

Started: She began practising shot put at age eight and started competing at age 10. She took up discus at age nine and entered her first competition at age 12. "I actually started out in non-Para competition. And because I compete against them all the time, and they throw further than me, that helps me to push my distances." (paralympic.org, 10 Jun 2021; turkeclub.co.za, 01 Jan 2018) Reason: She was introduced to athletics by her older sister. "I started when my sister wanted to do discus and shot put. I am a few years younger than her but I did it with her and competed with her for fun. And then I started to enjoy it a lot and then began to do well." (paralympic.org, 28 Jul 2019) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (sabcsport.com, 05 Feb 2024) Awards: She received the Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability award for 2023 at the Athletics South Africa [ASA] Awards. (ewn.co.za, 06 Feb 2024) She was named Sportswoman with a Disability of the Year at the 2022 Tshwane Sports Council Women in Sport Awards in South Africa. (IsAbility Sports Club Facebook page, 24 Feb 2022) She was named Most Promising Athlete at the 2021 Gauteng Sport Awards in South Africa. (Gauteng Sport Awards Facebook page, 14 Nov 2021)

Sporting Relatives: Her father Andries has served as her coach. (businesslive.co.za, 27 Jul 2023)