JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 01: Pieter du Preez in the 1500m during the athletics at UJ Stadium on day 5 of the 2015 Nedbank National Championships For Physically Disabled on April 01, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images)
In 2014, a little more than a decade after he was paralysed from the chest down, Pieter du Preez became the first person with tetraplegia to finish an ironman triathlon.
He completed a 3.8km swim, a 180km cycle ride and a 42km run. And though he obviously required unique equipment to get it done, he did it without the use of his arms, his legs and his torso.
When I first heard this, I was stunned. It’s such a remarkable achievement it’s almost unbelievable.
Du Preez is one of 34 South Africans competing at the Paralympic Games which started in Tokyo this week, and his 33 teammates all have their own incredible stories.
Veteran dressage rider Philippa Johnson-Dwyer finished eighth in the Grade 4 individual test, which in itself is not astounding. But her build-up to the Games makes her mere presence at the showpiece an incredible achievement.
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Johnson-Dwyer, who lost feeling in her right arm and right leg following a car accident, would have been forgiven if she had called it quits last year.
After falling ill, she required open heart surgery, and then she was diagnosed with cancer and needed chemotherapy.
With a bag full of excuses at her full disposal, however, she did what she always does. She got back in the saddle.
The delight expressed by Johnson-Dwyer, as she booked her place in the freestyle test on Monday with her horse Just In Time, was reflective of the victory she achieved by participating in Tokyo.
It’s as tired as any cliche, but every individual who qualifies for the Paralympics is a winner. And that’s not a reach by any means.
Considering the adversities they have faced, their generally positive, focussed approach to life offers a sense of inspiration which is difficult to match.
Sport has become so competitive in the professional era that the values attached to sportsmanship are often forgotten in the pursuit of fame and fortune.
From dope cheats to fancy equipment, it’s about finding an edge. It’s no longer enough to do your best and enjoy the process.
In modern sport, which is a massive industry, it’s all about the winner, and the victory is in the money that lies beyond the finish line.
It’s not all bad, of course, and we do still see sportsmanship at the highest level of competition, but it is becoming rare.
To see the traditional values of sport on display, however, you don’t need to look beyond the Tokyo Games.
The battles the athletes have to win just to be on the start line are remarkable enough that their results are not nearly as important as their stories.
It has been said before but it must be said again. Every Paralympian is an absolute inspiration.
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