UPenelope ‘Penny’ Heyns wazalelwa eSprings ngomhlaka 8 Novemba 1974, umndeni wakhe wathuthela eManzimtoti esemncane. Wenza kahle ezifundweni nakwezokusubatha waba nngumbhukudi esemncane. UPenny wayeyilungu elincane kunabo bonke eqenjini le-South African Olympic kuma-1992 Summer Olympics e-Barcelona. Uphule irekhodi lakhe lokuqala lomhlaba, i-100m breastroke, edolobheni lasekhaya eThekwini ngoMashi 1996. Ngawo lowo nyaka, wawina indondo yegolide i-South Africa’s Olympic eneminyaka engu-44.
Wazizimazisa njengovelele wesifazane emhlabeni kwi-breaststroker ye-20th Century ngokuba nguye kuphela owesifazane emlandweni wama-Olimpiki owanqoba i-breaststroke amahlanda amamibili wamamitha angu-100 nangu-200.
Uphule amarekhodi omhlaba ayi-14 ngesikhathi somsebenzi wakhe; amarekhodi omhlaba amaningi we-breaststroke kunanoma yimuphi omunye umuntu obhukudayo emlandweni, owesilisa noma owesifazane. Nguye kuphela obhukuda wesifazane emlandweni ophethe amarekhodi ayisihlanu kwayisithupha e-breaststroke omhlaba ngasikhathi sinye. UPenny ubuye abe ngumuntu obambe amabele ukubamba iWorld Records kuwo wonke amabanga amathathu okungaba yi-50m, 100m & 200m.
Uvotelwe waba ngunamba -52 kwabangu-100 ku-Great South Africans in 2004 nango-2007 wangeniswa kwi-International Swimming Hall of Fame e-Florida –USA.
UPenny uthathe umhlalaphansi ekubhukudeni okuncintisanayo ngo-2001. Usebenze njengelungu lekhomishini yabasubathi le-International Swimming Federation (FINA) futhi manje uyisikhulumi esikhuthazayo nesisesidlangalaleni, umethuli wezinhlelo zethelevishini, futhi usephothule umlando wokuphila kwakhe.Uqhuba imitholampilo yokuqeqesha nemihlangano yokufundisa ababhukudi abanekhono lokuhlonza ezokubhukuda zaseNingizimu Afrika ezizayo.
Izethulo zikaPenny zihlose ukugqugquzela abasubathi abasha, amava akhe amnikeze ukuqonda okungenakuqhathaniswa ngalokho okudingekayo ukuze afinyelele esicongweni seminye imikhakha yezemidlalo enzima kunazo zonke futhi okubaluleke kakhulu, ukuthi angahlala kanjani lapho.