From the Beach to the Podium: Nathan Hendriks on Retinal Realities Podcast

To mark World Sight Day, our latest Retinal Realities episode features Nathan Hendricks: Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Paralympian and first-year BSc Physics student. Host Lauren Jonas spoke to Nathan about life with Stargardt disease, training twice a day and his sights on LA 2028.

Here are some highlights from their conversation.

From cricket to the sea

Nathan’s eyesight started to change when he was about 10. At first, he didn’t notice. It was his brother who pointed out that Nathan wasn’t quite looking him in the eye. In grade 6, an ophthalmologist diagnosed Stargardt disease, and Nathan now relies mostly on his peripheral vision.

Growing up, cricket was his first love. As his sight changed, it became harder to play. Living near the beach, his dad insisted he learn water safety. Those short swimming sessions grew into something bigger. In 2021, Nathan joined a three-week training camp in Middelburg with 11 sessions a week. “The first day was almost like the amount that I trained before,” he said.

Racing on the world stage

Nathan won gold in the 100m freestyle at his first Commonwealth Games. It’s the only major event where para and able-bodied athletes compete side by side. To prepare, the natural mid-distance swimmer switched to sprint and power work, with 9 swim sessions and 2 gym sessions a week.

Nathan also lives with type 1 diabetes, and race-day adrenaline can push his blood sugar up, so he uses breathing techniques to stay calm. He put this to the test in front of a huge crowd at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. “When you walk out on that pool deck… my body shook,” he recalled. He learned to treat the noise as support: “This is your chance to shine and show them what you’ve worked for.”

Nathan doesn’t dwell on losses. Finishing fourth at last year’s World Championships simply showed him the next step to aim for.

Studying physics his own way

At school, Nathan used large print and a magnifier. Later he moved to homeschooling, learning mostly through audio and screen magnification. Today he’s a first-year BSc Physics student. In lectures he listens closely instead of taking notes and photographs diagrams to view on his phone. His university supports him with scribes and magnification.

His days start at 4:30am, with training before and after lectures. “I chose this life and I was given the privilege to do this,” he said. “So every day I’ll enjoy every moment that I can.”

“Don’t let your disability define you”

Nathan’s message to young people with a visual impairment is simple:

“I won’t let my disability or challenge define who I am… It’s just a little pothole in the road. Just know that you can get to anywhere that you want and achieve what you want. It just means you need to persevere and enjoy the moment.”

 

Next up: first-year exams, next year’s World Para Swimming Championships, and a place at the LA 2028 Paralympics.