Shireen Sapiro (born 25 January 1991 in

Krugersdorp Krugersdorp (Afrikaans for ''Kruger's Town'') is a mining city in the West Rand, Gauteng Province, South Africa founded in 1887 by Marthinus Pretorius. Following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, a need arose for a major town in the west ...

) is a South African

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

, most notable for her performance at the

2008 Summer Paralympics The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games (), the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was ...

, winning a gold medal for the 100 m backstroke. She also claimed a bronze medal at the London 2012 Paralympics in the 100m backstroke. On 9 April 2004, Sapiro was seriously injured in a waterskiing accident which resulted in her left leg being paralysed. At the

2009 Maccabiah Games The 18th Maccabiah Games ( he, המכביה ה-18 ישראל תשס"ט), were held in July 2009. According to the organizing committee these were the largest games held yet. These Games were the world's fifth-largest sporting event, behind the Ol ...

, Sapiro was appointed flag bearer for the South African delegation at the opening ceremony. While Sapiro generally competes in Paralympic events, she competed in the open competition of the

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

events against able-bodied swimmers.

Footnotes

External links

* * Living people South African Jews Jewish swimmers Paralympic gold medalists for South Africa Paralympic swimmers for South Africa Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics World record holders in paralympic swimming Maccabiah Games medalists in swimming 1991 births Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics S10-classified para swimmers Maccabiah Games silver medalists for South Africa Maccabiah Games bronze medalists for South Africa African Games silver medalists for South Africa African Games medalists in swimming Competitors at the 2011 All-Africa Games Paralympic medalists in swimming {{SouthAfrica-Paralympic-medalist-stub