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September 5th, 2008
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Knights Athletics
ACS Alumni
Trudie Du ToitThe following is an excerpt from the original article found in the Feb. 24/07 issue of the Abbotsford News
She's a real ace by DAN KINVIG Abbotsford News When Trudie du Toit hits the tennis courts at Great West Fitness in Abbotsford, it's unlikely that the players on the adjacent courts have any idea that they're playing alongside one of the top up-and-coming youngsters on the planet. But that's indeed the case - the 17-year-old du Toit is B.C.'s top-ranked under-18 player; and she's currently seeded among the top 300 U18 players in the world. Recently, the tennis prodigy was presented with the Premier's Athletic Award at a gala ceremony in conjunction with the unveiling of the 2010 Olympic countdown clock in Vancouver. "It was nice, because I really haven't received that much recognition," Trudie said with a smile. The South African-born du Toit comes by her tennis talent honestly. Her father Andre used to run a tennis academy in South Africa, and the three du Toit siblings - Charles, Trudie and Riaan - grew up with a tennis racquet in hand. "We've been playing tennis since before we could walk, as soon as we could hold a racquet," Trudie said with a chuckle. Getting a head start has certainly paid off for this family of tennis aces. Charles, 18, a former high performance player who is currently taking his coaching training at the renowned Van Der Meer Tennis Academy on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Riaan is following closely in Trudie's footsteps - he's the top-ranked U12 boys player in B.C., and he's rated No.6 in Canada. "He's already won some men's tournaments," Trudie said proudly. The du Toit family moved to Abbotsford just over four years ago; largely to establish a better life for themselves in North America, and partially because of a pledge that Andre made to his young daughter. "I always promised her when she was a little girl that if she made it to the top two in South Africa, we would move closer to the big venues," Andre explained. Trudie held up her end of the bargain, rising to the NO.1 spot in South Africa's U12 rankings. Abbotsford isn't exactly known as a tennis mecca, but its close proximity to high-profile West Coast tournaments in Washington, Oregon and California made it an ideal location for the family.
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