The seven-time Olympic Champion, whose mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, has been swimming in support of cancer patients before leaving for Belo Horizonte, Brazil next week.
“I had good support at the spinning for Cancer Association of South Africa. I look forward to working with Zimbabwe Cancer Association,” Coventry said. Coventry’s mother Lyn was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and made a full recovery after surgery, chemo and radiotherapy.
Sadly, cancer claimed the life of her paternal grandmother two days before she flew into Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.
This did not however deter her as she won the silver medal in the 400m individual medley on August 10 2008, becoming only the second woman to swim the medley in less than 4:30.
The first was Stephanie Rice who won the gold in the same event.
Coventry beat the world record by just under two seconds, and was only beaten by Rice to a new world record.
In the second semi-final of the 100m backstroke, she set a new world record of 58.77 seconds. However, in the final of that event she was beaten to the gold medal by Natalie Coughlin.
Coventry was again beaten by Stephanie Rice in the 200m individual medley, despite swimming under the old world record. Coventry did defend her Olympic title in the 200m backstroke, winning gold in a world record time of 2:05,24.
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She was awarded US$100 000 by the government for her success at the Olympics.
Coventry gave a portion of that money to charity, including the local cancer association.
Coventry may be a southern African superstar, but she is as down to earth as they come, and was in Victoria Falls last week where she gave a motivational speech to pupils at Victoria Primary School.
Coventry is set to take part in her first major swimming championship in July in the 14th edition of the Fina World Swimming Championships in China. The championship will run from July 16-31. She is the country’s hope at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
