Dylan Bettencourt
UKat Swanepoel oyi-Paralympian ukhuluma “ngezinkinga” ake wabhekana nazo empilweni yakhe – izinselelo omunye umuntu ojwayelekile angazichaza njengezingaphezu kwezinkinga nje.
USwanepoel kwatholakala ukuthi unesimo sokukhubazeka okuthiwa yi-multiple sclerosis. Uhlezi esihlalweni esinamasondo, useqala ukungaboni esweni elilodwa futhi akanawo umuzwa osuka phansi esifubeni sakhe noma ezingxenyeni ezinkulu zezingalo zakhe.
Ubehlezi engumuntu okhuthele ngisho nakulezi zikhathi ezinzima, encintisana kwi-hockey ne-squash ngaphambi kokumela iNingizimu Afrika ngesihlalo sabakhubazekile kwibhola lombhoxo naku-basketball.
“Ngaqala ukusebenzisa isihlalo esinamasondo ngowezi-2010 ngineminyaka engama-23,” esho.
“Ngingathanda ukusho ukuthi ushintsho ngaluthatha ngomusa, kodwa ngaba ngumuntu oziphilela yedwa”.
Lokhu kuqhubeke kwaze kwafika umngani wakhe, oyingcweti emsebenzini wokulapha ngokwenqondo, wathi, “uyazi Kat, ungahlala ekhaya uqhathe usizi, kodwa ekugcineni abantu abambalwa abazofika bezokubona, noma ungaphuma ngaphandle uphile impilo yakho”.
Namuhla, uSwanepoel oneminyaka engama-34, uyaqhubeka nokulwa nezinqinamba futhi uthole ubizo lwakhe kwi-swimming pool. Manje uKat umele izwe lakhe kuma-Paralympics e-Tokyo.
“Akukho okuzoshintsha ukukhubazeka kwakho emzimbeni, kodwa ungashintsha izinga lempilo yakho,” kusho uSwanepoel etshela i-Team South Africa.
USwanepoel usebenza ngokugcwele njengomelaphi oweluleka kwezempilo lapho achitha khona isikhathi sakhe esiningi nezingane eziphila nokukhubazeka kuze kube ngu-5.30 ntambama, bese eqonda kwi-pool ukuze akwazi ukuziqeqesha kuze kushaye ihora lesishiyagalolunye ebusuku.
Ohambweni lwakhe oluya e-Tokyo, kudingeke ukuthi abhekane nenkinga eyodwa endleleni. Utheleleke nge-Covid-19 ngaphambi kwale midlalo, kodwa walulama ngesikhathi esifanele ukuze akwazi ukungenela umncintiswano we-150m individual medley lapho aphume khona endaweni yesine ngoLwesihlanu.
Umpetha, uKat Swanepoel, uzobuye ancintisane ngoLwesihlanu ngo-11:05 ekuseni, futhi uzonikela ngakho konke anakho kwi- S4 50m backstroke yabesifazane.
Umthombo wesithombe: @ TeamSA2020