Ntombizanele Situ better known as Zanele Situ, was a South African Paralympian athlete competing mainly in category F54 throwing events.
Situ, a Paralympic gold medalist and IPC Athletics World Championships gold medalist, specializes in the javelin throw.
She holds the distinction of being the first female South African black athlete to win a Paralympic gold medal.
Zanele Situ Biography
Ntombizanele Situ was born in Kokstad, South Africa on 19 January 1971.
At the age of twelve she experienced weakness in her legs which resulted in an inability to walk.
A tuberculosis infection in her spine was detected through medical tests, leading to Situ entering a two-year semi-coma.
Consequently, she experienced paralysis from the fourth vertebra downwards, necessitating the use of a wheelchair.
After becoming disabled she was schooled at Mthatha.
Here are some details of her career:
She was born on 19 January 1971 in Kokstad, South Africa. She became paralyzed from the fourth vertebra down due to a tuberculosis infection in her spine when she was 12 years old.
She took up athletics in 1985 and joined the Maties ParaSport Club in Stellenbosch.
She made her international debut in 1998 at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Birmingham, England, where she won gold in the javelin and bronze in the discus throw.
She participated in six Paralympic Games from 2000 to 2020.
She won gold in the javelin and silver in the discus at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, becoming the first black South African female athlete to win a Paralympic gold medal.
She defended her javelin title at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, where she also received the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award for embodying the spirit of the Games.
She won bronze in the javelin at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, setting a new personal best. She competed in her last Paralympics at Tokyo 2020.
She also won several medals at the IPC Athletics World Championships, including four gold medals in the javelin (1998, 2002, 2011, and 2013), one silver medal in the discus (1998), and one bronze medal in the javelin (2015).
She was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga (silver) by the Presidency of South Africa in 2003 for her outstanding contributions to sport.
She was also named one of the Top 100 Great South Africans by SABC3 in 2004.She died on November 2023 at the age of 52.
The International Paralympic Committee mourned her passing and praised her legacy as a pioneer and an inspiration for a generation of South African athletes.
Zanele Situ Husband
Zanele Situ was not married and did not have a husband. She was single and focused on her career as a Paralympian athlete.
Zanele Situ Children
Zanele Situ did not have any children.
Zanele Situ Parents
Zanele Situ was born Ntombizanele Situ on 19 January 1971 in the Eastern Cape town of Matatiele.
Her father was a builder and the family moved from place to place to find work.
Unfortunately, there isn’t more specific information available about her parents’ names.
Zanele’s parents played a crucial role in her life, especially when she began to experience health issues at the age of 11 in 1982.
She was constantly fatigued and struggled to walk, so her parents took her to the hospital.
She spent three years in the hospital, during which doctors determined that the spinal cord damage was so severe that she would never walk again.
Zanele Situ Siblings
Zanele Situ lived with both her parents and four other siblings.
Unfortunately, there isn’t more specific information available about her siblings’ names.
Zanele Situ Family
Zanele’s family played a crucial role in her life, especially when she began to experience health issues at the age of 11 in 1982.
Unfortunately, there isn’t more specific information available about her siblings’ names or her parents.
According to the available information, she was not married and did not have any children
Zanele Situ Net worth
Zanele Situ’s net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023.
As of 2023, the estimated net worth of Zanele Situ is $1.5 Million.
Her income source is mostly from being a successful Athlete.
Zanele Situ Death Cause
Paralympian Ntombizanele “Zanele” Situ passed away at the age of 52.
The cause of her death has not been publicly disclosed.
Zanele Situ was a legendary Paralympian who was the first black South African to win Paralympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Games.
She was a beacon of hope and inspiration in sports. Her journey from adversity to Paralympic gold will continue to inspire.
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