An Amanzimtoti parasurfer ‘won’t give up on dreams’
An Amanzimtoti
parasurfer is not giving up on her dreams of representing her country in
America despite the lack of funds.
Natashia Siebert was selected to compete alongside her SA team at the ISA World Parasurfing Championship.
Siebert was left paralysed in 2018 after an accident.
She says parasurfing became her new passion and motivation.
Siebert says with the closing date looming, she had almost given up, but this morning, she woke up and decided she would go despite her fears
"I'm scared of whether I'm able to be okay, will I be okay, am I making the right decision, even though I'm short of the money. With me doing all this and knowing it's non-refundable, I'm scared, but I just thought, no, what else do I have to lose? More legs?
John Wittle, head coach of the Proteas parasurfing team, says many of the members had to pull out, leaving them with only six out of 11 going to America.
He says it's difficult for sports to raise the money on their own.
"It's a very difficult situation, obviously, for South Africans to raise the money and find accommodation in the USA.
" Just the cost of living in America, plus airfares, is exorbitant, so funds are a real inhibitor to whether somebody can go or not. We don't have any government funding from SASCOC or any other organisation that could help athletes travel."
