12 Facts About Penelope Heyns

Penelope Heyns was the youngest member of the South African Olympic team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Penelope Heyns was a member of the South African squad at the 1994 Commonwealth Games, where she won a bronze medal in the 200 m breaststroke event.

Penelope Heyns broke her first world record, the 100 m breaststroke, in Durban in March 1996.

Penelope Heyns was again part of the South African Olympic team in Atlanta in 1996, where she won the gold medal for the 100 m breaststroke as well as the gold medal for the 200 m breaststroke.

In 1999, Penelope Heyns set a spate of eleven world records in three months, swimming at events on three different continents.

Penelope Heyns was named by Swimming World magazine as the Female World Swimmer of the Year in 1996 and 1999.

Penelope Heyns was a member of the South African Olympic team at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Penelope Heyns won a bronze medal in the 100 m breaststroke.

In 2004 Penelope Heyns was an athlete's commission member of the International Swimming Federation.

Penelope Heyns is a businesswoman, motivational and public speaker, and television presenter.

Penelope Heyns was voted 52nd in the Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004.

Penelope Heyns has an Olympic size swimming pool named after in the town of Sasolburg, Free State In 2024 Penny Heyns' double gold win at Atlanta Olympics was judged as one of the top moments in South African women's sport.