| South African disabled athlete Date of Birth: 04.04.1973 Country: South Africa |
Ernst van Dyk is a South African disabled athlete who competed in wheelchair and handcycle races. Handcycles are special vehicles that can be compared to bicycles, but they are powered by the arms instead of the legs. Van Dyk has won a record-breaking 9 championship titles in the Boston Marathon, making him the most successful wheelchair racer in the history of the event.
Ernst van Dyk was born on April 4, 1973, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. He was born with a physical disability that resulted in the absence of both legs. His parents, who were provincial-level athletes themselves, recognized his obvious athletic abilities and encouraged Ernst to participate in sports competitions.
Initially, he attended school in Graaff-Reinet, but the school was unable to meet the needs of a special child like Ernst. Therefore, he later transferred to Elizabeth Conradie School, a school for disabled children in Kimberley.
In his teenage years, van Dyk competed in swimming competitions at the national level. In 1992, he enrolled at Stellenbosch University and represented South Africa as a swimmer and wheelchair athlete at the Barcelona Paralympic Games. Afterward, he focused on athletics for disabled individuals.
Ernst van Dyk's impressive list of achievements includes a bronze medal in the 400-meter race at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney. In the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, he won a silver medal in the 800-meter race, another silver medal in the 1500-meter race, and a bronze medal in the 5000-meter race. In the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, van Dyk secured the gold medal in the handcycle race and a bronze in the wheelchair marathon.
Furthermore, van Dyk has also achieved success in handcycle competitions. He won silver and bronze medals at the 2009 UCI World Championships in Italy and two gold medals at the 2007 UCI World Championships in Bordeaux.
Ernst van Dyk's remarkable contributions to sports were acknowledged when he was awarded the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability in 2006. Additionally, on April 20, 2010, the South African government announced that van Dyk would be honored with the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for his exceptional achievements in sports.