Bravo To Natalie du Toit, Summer Olympics’ First Amputee

It was broadcast late Wednesday night, tastefully handled by NBC in a short piece that could have  been easily replete with easy, syrup-rich pitfalls.

Amputee swimmer Natalie duToit

It was perhaps the Beijing Games’ greatest human-interest story and nothing in the competition will be more unique and as inspiring as Natalie du Toit’s circumstances.

The endurance swimmer from South Africa, the first amputee to compete in the Summer Olympics, finished 16th in the field of 25 women in the 10-kilometer open water swim, a debut event.

Du Toit, who lost her left leg in a motorcycle accident seven years ago, qualified when she finished fourth in the 6.2-mile race at the open water World Championships last month in Seville, Spain.

Du Toit did not swim her best race in her Olympic debut, but she made no excuses. She finished in 2:00.49.9 and said she had plenty of work to do. Du Toit, a five-time gold medalist, will defend those titles in the Beijing Paralympics beginning August 8.