Roland Schoeman

Nickname

Rocket, GT, The Blade, Showman. (rolandschoeman.co.za, 15 May 2008; ileadspeakers.com, 20 Jun 2010)

Hobbies

Playing golf, listening to music, watching films and cycling. (rolandschoeman.co.za, 20 May 2008)

Education

Psychology - University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

Language(s) spoken

English

Club name

Northern Tigers/ Phoenix Swim club

Coach

Coley Stickels [club] from 2011 (Swimswam.com, 19 Sep 2011)

Debut

1998 for South Africa, Commonwealth Games (Kuala Lumpur) (iol.co.za, 12 Apr 2010)

Injuries

He tore a muscle in his right arm while on holiday in South Africa in December 2011 and his recovery time was four to six weeks. (Theswimmerscircle.com, 27 Dec 2011)

He suffered a tear to his pectoral muscle in 2010. (Theswimmerscircle.com, 27 Dec 2011)

He had a back problem in 2008 in Manchester at the World Championships that year. (gulfnews.com, 25 Nov 2010)

He was troubled by shoulder tendinitis in the lead up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. (news24.com, 14 Mar 2006; gulfnews.com, 25 Nov 2010)

He had a stress fracture in his foot in 2002 in Russia. (news24.com, 14 Mar 2006; gulfnews.com, 25 Nov 2010)

Additional information

Start of sporting career
He began at age 13 while attending high school. (Sunday Times, 22 Aug 2004)

Reason for taking up this sport
He took up swimming after he was dropped from opening the bowling for his high school cricket team. He was also keen to meet a girl who was a part of the swimming team. "She was in high school with me and on the local swim team. I thought if I joined the team I'd be able to show her I was interested in her. To cut a long story short, we ended up dating for a couple of months and she moved away. That was the end of the relationship, but there was something in swimming that I could identify with." (Sunday Times, 22 Aug 2004; melbourne2006.com.au, 26 Mar 2006; sport.iafrica.com, 04 Aug 2008)

Most memorable sporting achievement
The gold medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Becoming the first man to swim under 23 seconds in the 50m butterfly at the Montreal World Championships in 2005, and becoming the first man to swim under 21 seconds in the 50m freestyle in Hamburg. (iol.co.za, 31 Aug 2009)

Hero
Former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, who he met after winning three medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. "I was in awe of the man, it was surreal. You actually feel the respect he gets." He also looks up to English rower Sir Steven Redgrave.
(rolandschoeman.co.za, 20 Jun 2005)

Most influential person in career
His father. "He made me realise that I could do anything if I believed in myself and my ability." (Athlete, 13 Aug 1999)

Sporting philosophy / motto
"To win is to be the best in the history of your body," [Rick De Mont]. (rolandschoeman.co.za, 20 Jun 2005)

Awards
He won the 2009 Times Newspaper South African Athlete of the Decade award.

He won the 2009 University of Pretoria Sportsman of the Year.

He was inducted into the 2007 Arizona Hall of Fame.

In September 2007 he was awarded the Presidential Order of Ikhamanga in silver for his achievements in swimming. The Order is awarded to South African citizens who have excelled in the fields of arts, culture, literature, music, journalism, and sport.

He was inducted into the University of Pretoria Hall of Fame for three consecutive years from 2005-2007.

He won the Swimming South Africa Athlete of the Year for four consecutive years from 2004-2007.

He was named Swimming World Magazine's African Swimmer of the Year from 2004 to 2007.

He became the first South African to win three medals at an Olympic Games in Athens 2004.

(melbourne2006.com.au, 26 Mar 2009; timedfinals.com 24 Sep 2007; rolandschoeman.co.za, 04 Dec 2007; thepresidency.gov.za, 20 May 2008; info.gov.za 08 May 2008; swimmingworldmagazine.com 20 May 2008; vrp.co.za, 14 Oct 2010)


General
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
He has been a vocal campaigner for better pay for South Africa's swimmers and has had difficulties receiving payments from sponsors. "I have been funding Roland's swimming by literally cashing in my retirement annuities," said his mother Geraldine. In 2005 he turned down a lucrative offer, reportedly ZAR20,000,000 [approx USD$2,900,000], to represent the Gulf state of Qatar. He said he seriously and thoroughly considered the offer and even turned down a second higher offer. "I am an African and more specifically a South African. While I am significantly poorer today than I could have been, I feel tremendously blessed that it is Nkosi Sikeleli iAfrika [South Africa national anthem] which will be played if I win a gold medal." (Health24.com, 11 Jun 2009; timeslive.co.za, 11 Aug 2011; Hindustantimes.com, 02 Oct 2010; news24.com, 09 Oct 2010)

PERSONAL INSPIRATION
His father was killed in a car accident while he was in his early teens. The following day he competed in his father's honour at the Transvaal Open Championships and qualified for the senior nationals. He continues to use his father's memory as a motivation source. (Health24.com, 11 Jun 2009; timeslive.co.za, 11 Aug 2011; Hindustantimes.com, 02 Oct 2010; news24.com, 09 Oct 2010)

ASTHMA
He has suffered from asthma from his childhood and he used swimming as a means to strengthen his lungs. He had a lung test at the 2004 Olympic Games, which revealed the limitations of his lungs due to the illness. "The worst is I'd already got so used to living with asthma; I didn't even realise how bad it really was. Asthma tends to run in families but it doesn't mean the end of your dreams," he said. His sister also suffers from asthma. (Health24.com, 11 Jun 2009; timeslive.co.za, 11 Aug 2011; Hindustantimes.com, 02 Oct 2010; news24.com, 09 Oct 2010)

Previous Olympics

Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, Sydney 2000