Disabled cop excels
Meet Warrant Officer Nico Otto of the Randfontein Police – he is not to be messed with, on the street or on the sports field.
Forty-seven-year-old Warrant Officer Nico Otto, a member of the Randfontein Police, is one person you don’t want to mess with, on the street or on the sports field.
He recently won two gold medals and one silver at the South African Police Service National Athletics Championships, which took place at the Tshwane Police Academy in Pretoria. These championships are open to all police members, regardless of whether they are able-bodied or disabled.
Nico started his career as a police officer in 1990, with the Roodepoort Police, and transferred to Randfontein in 2003. In an unfortunate incident, which occurred while he was off duty, he intervened in a robbery, and was shot and paralysed for his pains.
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Nico is a proud resident of Toekomsrus, and is married with two children. He decided his paralysis was not going to stop him taking part in his biggest passion, athletics, and took part in the 100m, javelin and discus items at the championships in March. He will also be participating in the heats for the next National Athletics Championships, which will be held in October in Durban. He also loves tennis, wheelchair basketball, and other sports.
Nico has a message for the community – don’t let any obstacle you experience stop you from pursuing what you love.
He said, “I want to thank our local therapist, Katy Solomons, for all her help and the effort she has put into me. She managed to restore some of the sensation I lost after my paralysis.”
Captain Jackie Mathlatlem, also from the West Rand Cluster police, won a bronze in the javelin event, plus a silver in the discus. Constable Ben Motshaba also did very well in the high-jump for athletes aged 18 to 29 years.
Nico hopes that more disabled and able-bodied police members will participate in the Athletics Championships in the future.
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