Background
Booyens was born in the small town of Barkly West in Northern Cape Province.
Booyens was born in the small town of Barkly West in Northern Cape Province.
After school she attended teachers college in Bloemfontein, qualified there as a primary teacher, and later married and had three children.
Booyens was suffering from severe depression when she met race walking coach Carl Meyer. Two months later he saw her race walking and immediately recognised a massive talent. She had not participated in any competitive sport until 2006, aged 45.
In the 2009 World Masters Athletics Championships in Lahti, Finland she took 3 gold medals in the 5 km, 10 km and the team event on the 10 km race.
She was nominated as one of the Best World Masters athletes for 2009. At the 2010 World Indoor Championships in Kamloops she walked away with two gold medals in the indoor 3000 m (15:5706) and 10 km (54:2330) race walk events.
The 3000 m time was an African indoor record for the event. Carl Meyer is a very experienced Race Walker since 1972 and an IAAF level IV Race walking coach, serving the race walking sport for more than 37 years.