Visually impaired duo excel in para sports
Alberton’s visually impaired duo, Gavin Kilpatrick and Heinrich Vermaak, who have a rare genetic eye condition, proved disability was not an obstacle to success.
Sport is integral to the lives of visually impaired triathletes Gavin Kilpatrick and Heinrich Vermaak.
Together, they teamed with triathlon guides David Taylor and Jefferson Murdoch to make their mark in paratriathlon history.
This SA team of four recently won gold and silver at the South African Paratriathlon Championships and was invited to compete in the Paratriathlon African Championships in Egypt in October.
Though the Alberton duo both live with an eye condition called Stargardt disease, they have not allowed their disability to be a setback in their ever-rising sports careers.
With only 20% vision, sportsman Kilpatrick represented SA well in the international arena for years. He is a Beijing Paralympic bronze medalist, an International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championship bronze medalist and African Continental Championship silver medalist.
Of late, Kilpatrick and his faithful guide, Casper Moodie, were selected to represent SA at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Against all odds
Kilpatrick started his sporting career with disabled sports, playing blind cricket. He progressed to road races around the country, followed by many other bigger races and triathlons.
“I run a sports coaching business and hold a sport management Honours degree from the University of Johannesburg. I confidently believe nothing is impossible and that the sky is the limit, even when you are disabled,” he said.
He shared the same sentiments with Brackenhurst’s Vermaak, who said everything was challenging for him, though he had built resilience.
“Everything for me in life is a challenge. I have to walk with somebody. I can’t walk on my own and have to get assistance with everything I do. Through my years in school, I finished with a university entrance. I did many school sports, such as rugby, hockey, squash, athletics and cricket. As years went by, my eyesight worsened, and then I got into cycling,” explained Vermaak.
From cycling, he then met Kilpatrick, who introduced him to triathlons. And he impressively attained two bronze and one silver medal at the SA Triathlon Championships.
Vermaak, an information technology (IT) developer for a bank, has set his sights on owning his own business one day.
“In my case versus Gavin’s, I would say I need a lot of assistance because my eyesight has progressed to where I can almost see nothing. Everyday life is a challenge, but you have to overcome it and carry on with life,” he said.
