Chad's 'unbelievable' story
Unbelievable! A Book About Family, Values and Perseverance by Chad le Clos (Penguin)
THE golden boy every teenage girl wants to take to her matric dance, the son any dad could wish for, Olympic swimmer Chad le Clos turned 22 at the weekend and is already a global sensation.
The gold medal he won for the 200m butterfly at the London Olympic Games last year has put him up there with athletic icons like Oscar Pistorius – but only for good reasons. Now he has released an autobiography, co-written with experienced writer Myan Subrayan.
Its title is taken from a comment made by his adoring father Bert le Clos right after Chad scooped the gold medal from race favourite Michael Phelps. If you haven't seen the YouTube clip where Bert tells the BBC TV interviewer how "unbelievable" his son is after winning the gold medal, please do so.
It is heart-warming and reassuring to see that in this sporting superstar's family, at least, there is fatherly love and support. But then, one picture in Unbelievable! shows Chad's soccer team way back in primary school in kit sponsored by "Bert's Meat Market" – dad put his money where his mouth was, right from the start.
"My father is my biggest fan and supporter and I am really lucky to have such a close bond with him," Chad writes in the book, although dad in turn says, "I was just a fat guy who hadn't done anything great, unlike my son Chad".
The bemused Bert has been lapping up the attention while remaining aware of the pitfalls of fame for his "beautiful boy", and the book outlines how he tries to keep him grounded. Mum Geraldine le Clos has given her son far more than his colouring and good looks – Chad's high school principal says they both have been "crucial" to his success, with mum the bedrock of the family.
As Chad's swimming coach Graham Hill says, it's what happens behind the scenes that really counts.
And, in this short and straightforward account, with many chapters still to be written, how refreshing it is to look at a young sports icon who is still famous only for good things. – Gillian McAinsh
