Cape Town - South Africa’s silver medal in Women’s Surfing, from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Bianca Buitendag was officially honoured on Monday morning, at the premier’s official residence, Leeuwenhof.
Premier Alan Winde and MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport in the Western Cape Anroux Marais officially celebrated Buitendag’s achievement with an official meet and greet.
“I commend Bianca Buitendag on her successes at the Olympics. She is an inspiration to the many young female athletes of our province and our country, who may also aspire to participate in the Olympics,” Winde said.
“Her success is a testament to what can be enjoyed through passion and sheer grit. It was a pleasure to meet and congratulate her in person today, together with MEC Marais,” said Winde.
Marais added: “As a professional surfer from Victoria Bay, Bianca grew up in an ocean-loving family and started surfing at a very young age, exploring the Southern Cape’s coast for as long as she can remember. She started her competitive surfing career at age 10 and was crowned six-time South African national champion before the age of 16.
“She then turned professional, going on the World Championship Tour in 2013, at the age of 19. She was on Tour for five years, ended fourth in the world rankings in 2015, had final finishes in four World Tour events, and has now recently brought home the silver medal at the Olympics held in Tokyo this year,” said Marais.
Buitendag went on to visit Lavender Hill High School and the 9miles Project at Strandfontein Pavilion, sharing her experiences as an Olympic surfing medallist to motivate the idea that nothing stops our youth from achieving what she has.
The province said that it is excited to join her in a similar tour, in her hometown of Victoria Bay and the greater George region, in the near future. This will be done to determine how best to assist in her endeavours, to create increased opportunities for aspiring young surfers across the Western Cape.
“As the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games now also comes to an end, we are proud of our Team SA’s participation on the world stage and, particularly, congratulate our Western Cape Paralympians: Anrune Weyers on her gold medal in the Women’s 400m Athletics, Mpumalelo Mshlonge for breaking his own world record in the Men’s 200m, and Kerwin Nomdoe for breaking the African Record in the Men’s Shotput. We look forward to officially celebrating their successes on their safe return home,” said Winde.
Cape Argus