Kendra du Toit turns a season-threatening injury into an unforgettable comeback and leads SA’s lifesaving team to gold.
Swansea, Wales (18 August 2025) – Just a few months ago, Kendra du Toit’s 2025 season looked all but over. The South African lifesaving star, seasoned competitor, and now national team captain was sidelined with a fractured spine. Yet, against the odds, she not only returned to competition but led her team to record-breaking performances at the Commonwealth Championships in Wales.
Kendra admits that it was one of the hardest things she had to face.
“The fear, the uncertainty, not knowing when I’d race again it was overwhelming. But I had a great support system. Eventually, I had to let go of control of timelines and expectations and just trust. Getting back in time for Commonwealths felt like a quiet miracle.”
Lifesaving sport is a unique mix of racing and rescue skills, demanding both speed and precision. Balancing varsity studies with hours of physio and limited pool training, Kendra’s road to recovery was not the smoothest. By the time she finally resumed full training, Wales was looming. This left little room for error.
Surprisingly, she felt a calm she had never experienced on previous tours.
“I was calmer, more present, and more balanced than I’ve ever been on tour,” she says. “I’d found that rhythm between mentoring and racing, and our two SA teams felt more united than ever.”
Her leadership as captain leaned on empathy rather than big speeches.
“Sometimes, being a captain isn’t about having all the answers or hyping people up 24/7. It’s about being steady when things get messy, stepping up when it’s uncomfortable, and still being proud of how you showed up.”
On the competition front, Kendra faced both heartbreak and triumph. A near-win in the 100m Manikin Carry slipped away when her manikin shifted awkwardly, costing her by just 0.1 seconds.
“I was crushed and proud of her at the same time,” she reflects.
The highlight came in the relays. South Africa’s women stormed to gold in the 4x50m Rescue Relay and silver in the 4x25m Manikin Carry Relay. They even hit a national record.
“In that moment, it wasn’t about a medal it was about pride. We’d done something together that mattered.”
For Kendra, three international tours in under a year have been a masterclass in resilience. She will now take time to finish varsity, while keeping an eye on Nationals, Worlds, and Orange Cup 2026. As she puts it simply by saying,
“I’m not done. Not even close.”
Sources: Supplied
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