The 32-year-old, who was born in Zimbabwe's main southern city Bulawayo on January 25, 1978, learned to swim at the age of three and developed a passion for the sport from the age of eight.
Influenced by her mother, who was also an Olympic-level swimmer, she grew up next to a swimming pool.
She first attracted attention for her performances in the pool in the late 1990s and represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
