INSPIRATION
Blind Determination
Louzanne finishing the Soweto Marathon with regular guide Claus Kempen
Making small work of major milestones is the hallmark of the remarkable Louzanne Coetzee ’ s athletic career . She was born blind as a result of a hereditary condition called Leber congenital amaurosis , and she competes in the T11 class of para-sport , for athletes with the highest level of visual impairment . In 2016 , Louzanne represented South Africa in the 1500m at the Rio Paralympics , and the following year she broke the women ’ s 5000m World Record in her class .
In 2018 , Louzanne became the first visually impaired athlete to compete at the World University Cross Country Championships , in Switzerland , and in 2021 she won the silver medal in the 1500m at the delayed Tokyo Olympics , and added a bronze medal in the T12 women ’ s marathon at with a new World Record time of 3:11:13 .
It ’ s All About Attitude
As a busy full-time employee , as well as post-Master ’ s student and athlete , Louzanne believes that , “ The only disability in life is having a bad attitude .” Her pace-setting in the TTOM Half Marathon is all the more remarkable , as pace setters often sacrifice their own race to help other runners finish within a desired time – and in this case , she will be leading the sub-two hour bus . Already , several potential passengers in her Two Oceans bus have commented on social media that they cannot wait to run with her , and that they are excited about being part of a historic athletic occasion .
On 16 April 2022 , Paralympic silver medallist Louzanne Coetzee will make history at the Totalsports Two Oceans ( TTOM ) Half Marathon as the first blind pace setter in South Africa – and possibly in the world , too !
Running with Louzanne will be regular guide , Claus Kempen , a highly experienced , regular pacesetter , with pacing experience in previous editions of the Two Oceans Marathon and Comrades Marathon . He has also run with Louzanne in many races , including the Soweto Marathon . He says , ‘ Louzanne puts in maximum effort and focus , not just in her training , but every aspect of her life . She ’ s faster than me , so I ’ ve had to come up to speed !”
The two have been running together for seven years , and it ’ s clear the bond between them is very special . It ’ s also clear from talking to Louzanne , how hard she works in training , and how her steely determination to go faster , do better and always improve herself means she now has her sights set on a gold medal and marathon World Record in the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris . As she says , “ Discipline and focus are the key to everything in life – and I ’ m determined to do well , too .”
Read more about the incredible Louzanne Coetzee in the article recently published by our Official Print Media partner , the Cape Times . We believe it is only a matter of time before this phenomenal athlete becomes a household name – and you heard it here first , from the TTOM Team .
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