Fleet of foot runs in Olympic star’s family
SHE may have torn up the athletics track in the 80s and 90s, but does Odessa Swarts have what it takes to seize victory on Dancing with the Stars?
South Africa’s proudest mom re-entered the public spotlight because of her son Wayde van Niekerk’s world record-shattering running skills, but her own athletic prowess is no secret.
Yesterday, M-Net revealed that Swarts would join Thembisa Mdoda, Frank Opperman, Juanita de Villiers and Liesl Laurie as the celebrity contestants on the South African version of the hit British show.
Long before her son became a South African Olympic icon, Swarts lit up the athletics world.
“Having competed provincially as a track-and-field athlete in the late 1980s and early 1990s, she too broke a number of records, and will no doubt be determined to light up the gleaming dance floor in 2018,” said M-Net spokesperson Ingrid Engelbrecht.
Swarts hopes to prove that running ability can translate to the foxtrot, saying she is no stranger to competition and is keen to dance against her cast members.
“I always wanted to learn how to tango and salsa but with raising kids and the years flying by so fast, I never got to it.
“My kids are all grown and I want to see this as my time to learn new things.
“I have loved the international seasons of the show and always wished that I could be part of something like that... so this is an absolute dream come true.”
The channel is teasing audiences by slowly revealing new contestants, with fans also asking who will be on the judging panel.
“More information will be released in due course,” M-Net announced.
The series is set to run on DStv channel 101 from Sunday, February 4.