She didn’t think she’d win, but she did! Rising star and Paralympic champion Simonè Kruger defied her own expectations, winning two prestigious awards at the 2025 South Africa Sports Awards after a record-breaking year.
Sun City, South Africa (27 August 2025) – If you had asked Paralympic champion Simonè Kruger about her goals for the year, winning two prestigious awards at the 2025 South African Sports Awards probably wouldn’t have been on that list.
Not because she wasn’t deserving, but because she considered herself still a newcomer on the scene, or rather on the sports field. However, her talent has far surpassed her years, and she did indeed clinch the Youth/Junior Sport Star of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year with a disability at the star-studded event, which celebrated athletes in all their glory!
After accepting the awards, she mentioned she wasn’t sure she had a chance against some of her other top contenders, but she was glad she did.
“I feel really young because I’ve been in this sport since 2019. Some of my biggest achievements have also happened previously in the years. Being a junior sports star with all these amazing athletes like Bayanda Walaza, I didn’t think I was going to win against him. It was just amazing to actually win,” Simonè shares in a video media briefing.
In 2024, the discus player scooped two gold medals, achieving a World Record at the World Championships and a Paralympic record at the Paralympics, cementing her status as a sporting great.
Simonè credits her success to the support of her family and friends, who have been with her throughout this journey.
“Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I have achieved in my career,” Simonè tells SABC Sport.
While juggling studies as a first-year student-athlete at Stellenbosch University, Simonè is currently preparing for her run in two events at the upcoming Para-Athletics World Championship in India next month, and we’re so excited to see her shine on the global stage once again!
Sources: Various (Linked Above)
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