Normal versus Special UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, my victory and my status as gold medallist at the Athens Paralympics 2004 had changed my life for ever. I became a sporting celebrity overnight and the media interest and the angle they chose elevated me to a superhero for disabled people worldwide. My return to South Africa was particularly stressful for me. I had not actually grasped the significance of having my name in all the newspapers; suddenly journalists were queuing up to interview me. Initially I was euphoric, but by November I was burnt out by the combination of intensive training and racing and the press attention. I decided to take a holiday and headed to the coast with my family for a month and a half. The changes in my life had been drastic and sudden but I gradually got used to a new equilibrium in my life. When I first shot to fame I was both young and naive, and found myself taking interviews with journalists very personally and getting particularly upset when the results were less than flattering or my words were taken out of context.
