HIGHWAY’s Mpumelelo Mhlongo is South Africa’s three-time world-record-holding Paralympian. He currently holds world records for the T44 long jump, T44 100m and T44 200m track events.
The 30-year-old is one of the country’s flag-bearers at the Paralympics in Paris which started this Wednesday, August 28. He is also one of the country’s hopes for a medal.
He was born with a congenital deformity that left his right foot severely deformed and the chance of amputation strong, and the development of his fingers was also affected. But he never let these physical challenges hold him back while growing up in Klaarwater, Mariannhill.
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An exceptionally talented all-rounder and leader from an early age, Mhlongo was head of house at Kearsney, head of the College’s acclaimed choir when it won gold at the 2012 World Choir Games, captain of the second soccer team, and he achieved Academic Honours Cum Laude, achieving seven distinctions in his final IEB matric results. He also speaks six languages – English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, French and Portuguese.
Mhlongo said his passion this year, at the games, is to beat his own world records in the 100m and long jump, something he attributes to his fierce determination to succeed on behalf of his country.
“I grew up in the township where there was a lot of stigma around people with disabilities. I not only felt the brunt of being teased by other kids but also being ostracised by family members,” he said.
“However, thanks to sports, I became known as the fastest kid in the neighbourhood. In fact, I was often picked first, due to my speed, rather than being left out due to my disability. For me, this truly highlights the power of sports, in that they enabled me to help change the world for the better, just by doing what I love.”
Mhlongo competed in his first Paralympic Games in Rio in 2016. Since then, he has been instrumental in lobbying for the International Paralympic Committee to revisit their classification rules, asking them to separate blade runners and jumpers from athletes like himself who suffer from lower limb deficiencies.
He said that there are a lot of people who have never met him yet who have contributed to organisations that led to him being in the arenas where he was initially noticed.
“My partnership with Investec, and their help with the foundational pillars that are necessary for my build-up towards the 2024 Paris Paralympics, has been about not only demonstrating that one can be a contributor to society today, but equally, that investing in the future is just as vital.”
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“From my perspective, I have been very fortunate, and I would like to pay this forward. The question for me has always been about how to best utilise what I have, and yet still deliver potential back into society. The partnership with Investec is the answer I was seeking as this sponsorship has offered me the platform to do exactly that,” he says.
Peta Dixon, head of Sponsorships at Investec added that the company is extremely proud and privileged to have supported Mhlongo on his journey to Paris 2024.
“Since we began sponsoring him, it has been an absolute joy to watch him grow and develop and to support him through all his training. He truly represents the best of our nation, and Investec shares the same pride in this son of South Africa as the rest of our country’s citizens do. We are proud of his abilities as an athlete, proud of his winning mentality, and most of all, proud of someone who is just an all-around incredible human being,” said Dixon.
The dates and times for Mhlongo’s races at the Paris Paralympics are as follows:
Saturday, August 31, at 19:20: 100m round one
Sunday, September 1, at 19:30: 100m finals
Wednesday, September 4, at 20:35: long-jump finals
Saturday, September 7, at 12:02: 200m round one
Saturday, September 7, at 19:50: 200m finals
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