- MOUNTAIN bike enthusiast and coach Siya Njiva’s strength and fortitude have shone through, from being severely injured in an accident last May, to being back on his bike this year.
Siya’s motto, ‘we never fail, we only learn’ has been evident in his journey after being knocked over by a vehicle in the Durban CBD, through his rehabilitation, and now having returned to work training youngsters how to ride at Peschl Sports.
“It’s been a year since my accident and 10 months since the second operation on my leg. I have come to terms with the fact that my leg will never be 100 per cent again. It’s shorter than the other even though I act as if it isn’t. I’m not happy with it, but I need to be positive. I’m just happy to be alive!” he said.
Siya said he was battling with the fact that he can no longer run like he used to, having previously taken part in triathlons and doing extensive running.
“I now run five steps and my leg is sore. I battle to train the kids on the bikes as I can’t run with them. I sometimes feel a little pain in my leg, especially when it is cold and when I walk long distances, and I don’t ride as much as I used to and can’t do things I used to on the bike like drops and switch backs, but these are the kinds of things I will have to deal with. I won’t say I will never be able to do them, but I can’t now,” he said.
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Despite the negatives, Siya remains positive and says he went back to the office last November, a few months after his second operation, even though he couldn’t yet get on a bike.
“I used to coach the advanced kids but now I’m back to working with the children, telling them about bike parts, teaching exercises and playing games. All the kids said ‘coach, you’ll never beat us’, which was hard, but I recently lapped them in a race, I was so happy!” he said.
Siya has further proved himself on the race track, taking a third overall and first in his age category at the 40km Freedom Race recently.
“I’m proud of myself and proud of my boys and the work done with Shaun Peschl, who owns Peschl Sports. He has been so good to me during my recovery as well,” said Siya.
He plans to get back to doing more, including trips to the South Coast where he did guided rides. He also has a couple of rides in the pipeline including the Karkloof and Sugar Rush Classic.
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“I have started training and am keeping fit to prepare for the races. It’s tiring but it has been good. Just being there for the kids as they ride is amazing. I wouldn’t do any other job, it’s great to see the change in our kids,” he said.
Siya has also started teaching the children to play chess, which they have really taken to. He is encouraging the community to donate any unwanted chess sets. People who are willing to do so can contact rudham@axxess.co.za.
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