In non-Olympic years, Natalie du Toit spends a lot of time giving motivational talks to schools, companies and churches in South Africa, the Reuters reported.
She talks of her life, how everyone should have a goal and tells her audience they should never give up on their dreams.
This year Du Toit has concentrated on fulfilling her childhood dream -- swimming at the Olympics -- and her success has proved an inspiration way beyond South Africa and the world of swimming.
Du Toit lost her left leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001, a year after narrowly failing to qualify for the Sydney Games.
This month, the 24-year-old qualified for the Beijing Olympics in the 10-km open water event and she could become the first amputee to win a medal at a Summer Games for nearly 60 years.
"It's been wonderful, everyone has been amazing. Congratulations have come from swimmers all over the world," Du Toit told Reuters.
"It's a positive story, everyone knows about it. Even the hotel staff here congratulated me," she said from Manchester where she was taking part in the Paralympic World Cup.
Du Toit grew up in Cape Town and was identified as a potential Olympian in her early teens. But her career appeared to have been cut short in February 2001 when a car leaving a parking lot hit her as she rode past on her motor scooter.
Her left leg was amputated at the knee after it began to turn gangrenous and a titanium rod was inserted into her femur. Three months later, she was back in the water.
Learning to swim with one leg was tough -- she tried breaststroke and found herself going round in circles, or hitting the side wall because she was over-compensating.