By GARY LEMKE
When it comes to documenting the para-athletics history of South Africa, Liezel Gouws’ name will always be prominent as one of the trail-blazers of her sport. She’s already a three-time Paralympian, with a realistic chance of making it four at Los Angeles in 2028.
Gouws is one of the headline acts at the 2025 Toyota SASAPD National Championships in Gqeberha, where she has a busy programme of four events – the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m, and event where she still holds the T37 world record at 2min 41.70sec.
“I’ve been doing a lot of endurance work in the build-up to these championships,” she said. “Fortunately, the events are spread over three days and while I’m not at peak fitness I’m really looking forward to seeing what will unfold.
“The 400 is my main event internationally so that will be the one where I will be focusing on the most, although I don’t expect to be breaking any records! The World Championships are later this year and it’s there where I will want to be at my best, but one’s Nationals always mean so much.
“The fact that they are a multi-code event is also so great, as it brings athletes from a number of other sports together as well. It’s an exciting time, because apart from the World Paras, there’s also the 2026 Commonwealth Games where I am fortunate enough to have the 100m, 200m and long jump on the programme. I went to the 2022 Commonwealth Games and it was one of my best experiences as an athlete.”
Off the track Gouws completed her studies in February and she is now a qualified pharmacist. However, she will be putting the full-time aspect of that career on hold as she concentrates on her track and field career, and the build-up to the 2028 Paralympics.
“I am focusing on the next Para cycle but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let my studies go to waste! I will do locum work, or even part-time in a pharmacy, while I’ve also taken on sports admin work with North West University which is keeping me busy, but which I’m enjoying and which is loading me with quite a bit of responsibility!”
Gouws has risen over the years from a 17-year-old rookie at the Rio Paralympics in 2016 to the veteran that she now is, but that hasn’t doused her ambition and if anything, it has made her desire to be remembered as one of the country’s Para greats even stronger.
Photo: ROGER SEDRES
