"A couple of things went wrong. I struggled with my cap. And from lap one already I went wrong in the first buoy and my cap got stuck in the first buoy...I kind of stuck in the pack all the time. That sort of beat myself a bit," she said.

When du Toit finished the race, she could hardly get out of the water. "That shows I did give all my best in the race," she said jokingly.

"I was disappointed a bit. Position 16 isn't great. I would have liked to have been in the top five. As a seasoned swimmer there should be no excuses. But I gave my best and I am happy with the result," she said calmly

But when it came to what swimming meant to her, the athlete got quite emotional.

"I feel completely free in the water and I feel that's who I am. I've given up a lot, given up studying. I do motivational speaking for a living, but you know I've given it up (for swimming)," said du Toit, trying to fight back tears.

At home, du Toit is a national icon and her story has inspired thousands of her compatriots. At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games, she carried South Africa's flag leading her country's athletes into the Bird Nest.

Having gone through so many ups and downs in life, du Toit said she hoped to show all the people, not only the disabled, that "you have to work hard.""There are the negative things. But there are a lot of positive things down the way as well. It's to use the negative things in a good light."

Du Toit, who will soon compete in multiple events in the Paralympics, said she will continue to compete with able-bodied people. "I don't even think about not having a leg and if I want to keep competing I will have to continue to qualify with the able-bodied. For me it's not about the disability at all."

The swimmer said she hope to be back for 2012 London Olympics. "Where I'll be hoping for a top five place," said she.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2008)