[1] John van Reenen was born on 26 March 1947 in Bethlehem, Free State, South Africa.
Van Reenen studied Fine Art throughout his athletics career, specialising in etchings.
As an artist he found some success with his art having sold across the United States of America and throughout South Africa.
Van Reenen was inducted into the South African Sports Hall of Fame in February 2009 for his World Record Discus Throw.
This biographical article relating to South African athletics is a stub.