Partially sighted 18-year-old Eastern Cape rower Tanna Diplock, who won a gold medal in the single sculls race at the SA rowing championships in April, wants to win more gold — at the 2024 Paralympics.
The Clarendon High matric pupil Tanna, or “Tan” to her friends, was born with retinitis pigmentosa.
She is legally blind but attends a mainstream school where she does well academically and is a good artist.
She has an older brother with the same eye condition.
She has 10% vision in her right eye and 20% in her left eye and has no peripheral vision.
She is light sensitive so when she’s outdoors she always wears sunglasses.
She said her SA medal win at Roodeplaat Dam near Pretoria was proof that “if you put in the effort and set your mind to something, you will get where you want to go.
“More people might realise that they can do something with what they have instead of thinking about what they don’t have.”
She said the qualifying heat had been tough but she made it to the final eight. “The first stroke of the final was a bit iffy, however I just focused on what I was doing with each stroke.
“My coach, Bill Godfrey, guided me down the course to make sure I stayed straight.
“I struggle to see the buoys so it is difficult for me to stay straight or to see how far I’ve raced. My coach is allowed to tell me how far I’ve raced and if I need to get straight again.
“He follows me in a motorboat so I always race in the outside lane so other athletes don’t get impeded by the wake of his motorboat.”
Asked who had inspired her she replied: “Anyone who is told that they would never be able to do something, but they went out and did it anyway simply because they love what they do.
“Most of the time I’m just keen for a good row.”
She underplays the sheer effort and discipline it took to win, but did say she had competed at the SA and school championships at Roodeplaat for five years.
“I’ve learned how to get around some areas on the bank although it’s better to be with someone, as it’s difficult to walk between other crews carrying their boats on and off the jetties.”
Topping it all, she fell ill on the Sunday morning of her final.
“It was a huge stress, but everything worked out.”
Aside from winning, she said her favourite experience at the champs was: “I got to meet another visually impaired athlete and her doubles partner, who row as a para double.
“They are two incredible people and it was great to talk to someone else who has similar experiences to mine.”
She said the championship experience was also confirmation that “the hard work and sacrifices that I and the people surrounding me have paid off”.
For now she wants to focus on getting her matric because after that, it was rowing her way to the Paralympics, “most likely in a crew boat”.
So what did it really take to win?
“Water sessions, between five and seven sessions in the boat a week.
“I also did gym and running.
“Most days consisted of two training sessions so I’d need to do morning training before school. I rarely had to find motivation to train.”
