From the very beginning Cameron Van der Burgh’s parents have always supported him and been proud and passionate about his triumphs, no matter how big or small. As a child, Cameron suffered from a mild form of ADD and so his parents encouraged him to divert his energy towards sports.
At a very young age, he was recognized as a very talented swimmer. He is South Africa’s first home-trained Olympic medal winner! His 2012 gold medal win was dedicated to his close friend, Alex Dale Oen, a Norwegian swimmer who passed away due to a heart attack.
Cameron Van der Burgh’s Family Profile
Here’s a brief glimpse into the Van der Burgh family tree.
Van der Burgh’s Parents – Bev Van der Burgh (Mother)
His parents are his main support system and Cameron has been dubbed by the press as a ‘Mama’s boy’ because he dedicates all his achievements to her. He says that his mother, Bev Van der Burgh, is his inspiration and it were the sacrifices she made that allowed him to turn into the high achiever today. She took time away from her job to take him to his training sessions all in order to support his dream of representing South Africa at the Olympics.
He faced many hardships as a child, primarily suffering from attention deficit disorder. He was prescribed Ritalin, which is basically a medicine to treat ADD in young children. Although he was supposed to take this in order to remain alert in class, he said the medicine just acted as a depressant. So, his parents thought about it and decided to introduce him to the world of sports, hoping it would help him somehow! Through sports, he overcame his attention disorder and was able to lead a normal life.
Cameron started swimming at the age of eleven. He was about sixteen when he realized that he was good enough to make a career out of it and turn pro. He faced a major obstacle when he broke his ankle at sixteen due to a diving accident. But this did not stop him from achieving his goals. Yet another thing he learnt from his parents.
In order to achieve his Olympic dream, he had to give up all the school and sports tours that were offered by his high school- Crawford. It also meant missing many school days and having to catch up with his studies from time to time. But he says, his school was extremely supportive and his teachers would always spend extra time with him before and after classes, helping him to catch up with the portion. He says the school ensured that his academic performance didn’t suffer because of his career in sports.
Van der Burgh’s Sibling – Andrew Van Der Burgh
He has an older brother, Andrew, who is a Chartered Accountant His brother helped him out a lot while he was growing up, especially with his studies.
Van der Burgh Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of about $1000 million.