PEOPLE » CONVO STARTERS
COFFEE TABLE CONVERSATION
TALK- TEST-WORTHY NUGGETS FOR YOUR LONG RUN .
SOUTH AFRICAN BLADE SPRINTER NTANDO MAHLANGU FEATURES IN THE NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY RISING PHOENIX
Launched in August , Rising Phoenix documents the impact of the Paralympics on society ’ s perception of disability .
“ I am extremely proud of my inclusion . The film highlights the power of sport to drive change ; its ability to unite , uplift and inspire . It is an honour to represent my country in the telling of this important tale ,” he says .
The 200m world champion and Paralympic silver medallist was born with fibular hemimelia , a congenital condition that affected both his legs from the knee down . He spent a large portion of his young life in a wheelchair . Among nine athletes featured in the doccie is Italian wheelchair fencer Bebe Vio , who had to have both legs amputated from the knee and both arms after she was affected by severe meningitis . Then there is UK-born 100m sprinter Jonnie Peacock , who had to have his right leg amputated just below the knee after he also contracted meningitis .
FORTUNATE CHIDZIVO ’ S 13-DAY JOURNEY TO THE WORLD ATHLETICS HALF MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Fortunate comes 27th ( her time 1:10.50 ) in the race , held in Gdynia , Poland , in October , setting a new national record ( and new national road-running records in the 5km , 15km and 20km to add to her 10km national record of 32.26 ). By the time she gets to Poland , she has been travelling for almost three weeks and has been tested for Covid-19 11 times .
You see , Fortunate needed a VISA to travel to Poland , but due to Covid-19 restrictions , the only place she could get one was Pretoria . So , she left her home outside Harare , Zimbabwe , on a Sunday evening and travelled overnight by taxi to the border , only to be told she did not have the right documentation . She took a taxi to Bulawayo , where she spent a second night and had to have another test for Covid-19 . Back at the border , she was told to wait a further 24 hours until the border back in Zimbabwe reopened . She spent her third night sleeping in a truck at the border , then the following morning , she arranged a lift to Pretoria with the truck ’ s driver , where she had to wait until her VISA appointment . It was there immigration officials told her she would not get her VISA in time . Fortunately , she received it in four days with the help of the organisers of the World Champs . Remember : she would still have to return to Harare , then travel to Poland for the Championships .
When she arrived at the airport to fly to Poland , she and the South African team members were turned away due to Covid-19 restrictions in Holland , where her connecting flight was . So , she slept on a chair at OR Tambo airport . Eventually , her coach Chris Bruwer found her an alternative flight , but it had a long stopover in Dubai .
PHOTOGRAPHS TOBIAS GINSBERG , NICK MUZIK PHOTOGRAPHY , SUPPLIED
22 | RUN FOR YOUR LIFE