A CONSISTENT BRAND
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| Natalie du Toit holding her prosthetic leg after her win |
In the world we live in today, all that really matters is
how people perceive us as individuals. And that of cause will determine your
success or failure in whatever it is that you pursuing in life. As for Natalie
du Toit, she has built her brand to be respected and well known, despite all
the hardship and obstacles, she still managed to come out as a hero to many.
She understood the true meaning of building her own
brand. She understood that it’s the perceptions
that bring together an individual and her followers. I mean establishing an
image or brand of yourself means creating favourable affiliations with your audience,
be it internal or external, and she has done so through her swimming.
Benjamin E. Mays said; “The tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals; the tragedy of life lies in not having goals to reach for. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace not to have stars to reach for.”
These are the inspirational words Natalie du Toit lives
by every day, ever since her tragic accident that turned out to be her biggest
triumph in her sporting career.
Natalie’s sporting career and her triumph
“I have always had the dream to take part in the Olympic Games, and losing my leg didn’t change anything” said Natalie.
This is how her road to success began:
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| The smile of victory, after winning the 400m freestyle |
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in 2002 when she competed in the Commonwealth
Games, where she became the first amputee to race in the finals of what is
known as a major abled-bodied swimming competition and that’s when she made the
finals for the 800 meter freestyle. This is when she received the David Dixon
award for Outstanding Athlete of the games.
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In 2003, she won a gold medal for the 800m
freestyle at the All African Games, a silver medal at the Afro-Asian Games. She
received five gold medals and one silver medal at the Paralympic Games in 2004.
2008 she qualified for the Beijing Olympics and was selected to carry the flag
during the opening ceremony.
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Recently at the London 2012 Paralympic games,
Natalie won her 12th career gold medal for the women’s 400m
freestyle.
Natalie’s story shows that when you are destined for greatness, you will surely succeed even when you have been in a tragedy. She is a great example of how to build and maintain yourself as a brand and always appearing as a credible individual among her followers. Companies could learn a thing or two from Natalie du Toit.
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| Natalie hugging her opponent after coming second in her race |
sources : www.nataliedutoit.co.za, www.nataliedutoit.net, www.timeslive.co.za, http://en.wikipedia.org, www.telegraph.co.uk and
lastly www.thestar.com
Natalie is such an inspiration to most people because she did not allow her tragedy to stand in her way of persuading her dream.she has a fighting spirit that's what i love about her.
ReplyDeleteyes indeed, that is one of the qualities that make her amazing.
DeleteShe truly is amazing and the fact that we live in such a diverse country, that understands hardships on so many levels, is a plus because she has the enitire country supporting her right through! I am proud to be part of this diversity.
ReplyDeleteIf we were to come together in supporting on another as a country, more and more people will not give up on themselves but rather fulfill their dreams like Natalie
DeleteNatalie is an example to many people living with diasability who made it happen regardless of their disabilities.Natalie is one of the people who did not look into their disability as a weakness but as a strength.Everything that she is before the public is what she presented herself to the public.Again I can say the most thing that I admire about her is that she did not believe in low self-esteem but in high self-esteem.She inspire us all and was able to achieve that by having inspiration within herself first.
ReplyDeleteThat's so true, I mean without the confidence she has in herself, she wouldn't be where she is today.
DeleteLife has always had and will always have challenges for any of us, the trick is how you deal with them. do you let them break you or you let them make you strong.Natalie is such a great role model for many of us and has proven that no matter what circumstances you come across, if you believe and work hard you can defeat anything
ReplyDeleteThat is so true, you are the one who decides how to deal with whatever life throws at you.
DeleteI am so touched by her dedication and hard-work. I mean, Natalie is a living example of so many disabled individuals out there with potential to leave their mark wherever they go.
ReplyDeleteShe is a great example to the nation and hopefully many will take after her.
DeleteNatalie is a true inspiration to both abled and disabled people out there, she has proven that no matter how tough it may be you can never give up on your dreams. I salute her for waving the Countrys flag high in the paralympics and bringing home silverware.
ReplyDeleteHer story is one that makes you look at your life and think "if Natalie did it, so can I".
DeleteIt is clearly visible that Natalie has put serious work into ensuring she has a good personal brand, from being a great athlete to being an inspirational figure outside of her athletic exploits. She certainly deserves the R1 400 000 she received for all the paralympic medals she recieved this year.
ReplyDeleteThat's so true, she deserves it and I hope she keeps on doing the great job and inspiring others through her success.
DeleteNatalie is our golden girl indeed! I've drawn so much inspiration from her and wish her all the best in future!
ReplyDeleteShe certainly will keep making us proud as a nation
DeleteNatalie is the talented women who has becom a model to other athltes.
ReplyDeleteShe is a role model to all 0f us.
ReplyDelete