Chainsaw attack survivor Mhlengi Gwala sets his sights on Tokyo 2020

Triathlete Mhlengi Gwala has his sights set on Paralympic Gold nearly a year after he was first attacked with a chainsaw and almost lost his legs.

The brutal attack happened one early morning in March 2018 while he was cycling near the University of KwaZulu-Natal campus. Three men pulled him off his bike and dragged him into a bush.

Despite Gwala’s attempt to offer them his valuables, they refused. Instead, they opted to cut into his legs using a saw.

Fortunately, security guards came to his rescue and immediately rushed Gwala to hospital, where he was treated for his severe injuries.

ALSO READ: Donations stream in for Mhlengi Gwala

According to a recent report published by CNN Africa, Gwala was back in the gym and training six months after the attack even though doctors told him he would not be able to run for at least two years.

Warning: This video contains graphic imagery of Gwala’s injuries and is not for sensitive viewers. 

Tokyo 2020: South African athlete Mhlengi Gwala is dreaming of an Olympic victory after a gruesome chainsaw attack https://t.co/ZCGTu9aDKg pic.twitter.com/HW8UCQCmVs

— CNN Africa (@CNNAfrica) February 28, 2019

Gwala, who now qualifies to take part in the Paralympics as a para-athlete, has decided to try and make his country proud once again when he goes for gold in Tokyo 2020.

“That is my big motivation. That makes me wake up every morning because I need to get strong if I’m going there, and make South Africa proud of me,” he told the publication.

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