22 years after leaving the halls of Pretoria St Mary’s as a learner, Paralympic swimmer Kat Swanepoel returned home to share a powerful message with the next generation: that they don’t need to have life all figured out to achieve extraordinary things!
Pretoria, South Africa (05 August 2026) – Sometimes, a personal story and a word of encouragement are all it takes to remind young people that they don’t need to have everything figured out to chase their dreams, pursue the seemingly impossible, or defy their odds.
South African Paralympic swimmer Katherine “Kat” Swanepoel recently returned to her alma mater 22 years after matriculating not just for a friendly visit, but to inspire the next generation of young women destined for greatness.
Kat attended St Mary’s Diocesan School for Girls in Pretoria, joining in the final term of Grade 7 and matriculating in 2004. Since then, she has built an extraordinary career, distinguishing herself both professionally and as an elite para-athlete.
After graduating from the University of Pretoria with an Honours degree in Occupational Therapy, where she was recognised as the top Occupational Therapy student across all four years of study, Kat has dedicated her career to improving the lives of others.
She has specialised in wheelchair seating and mobility training for the past 14 years while also achieving remarkable success on the international sporting stage.
A two-time Paralympian, Kat represented South Africa at the Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and had the honour of serving as South Africa’s flag bearer at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony. She is a five-time World Para Swimming Championships medallist, holds six African records in para swimming, and has represented South Africa in wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and para swimming.
Kat’s achievements have won her several awards, and away from the competitive stage, she has also channelled her passion into raising awareness for her disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
St Mary’s welcomed her back on Tuesday for a special whole-school assembly, where her message to the girls was less about all she had accomplished over the years, but more about encouraging them to live fully, courageously and authentically.
According to St Mary’s, Kat reminded the learners that life is beautifully imperfect.
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The school community was grateful to the decorated sportswoman for taking the time to share her remarkable journey and for inspiring the next generation of girls to lead with courage, resilience and purpose.
As Kat stood before the very halls where her own journey began, she left the girls with a powerful truth: achieving greatness isn’t about having a perfect plan, but having the courage to dive in anyway!
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