PEOPLE » WHO INSPIRE
BOUNCING BACK
Xolani Luvuno had followed an amazing path to get to the start of the 2019
IRONMAN African Championship. His race didn’t go entirely to plan, but that
hasn’t fazed this remarkable athlete. In fact, he’s turned a potential negative into a
positive, and is on track to compete at IRONMAN 70.3 Durban. BY REGARDT BOTES
hose who read
our African
Championship
edition will know that
athlete Xolani Luvuno has
an incredible backstory. He
was raised in a township in
the Eastern Cape, where he
dropped out of school at a
young age and got involved
in gangsterism and drugs.
He ended up spending a few
years in prison for a burglary
in Port Elizabeth, actually not
too far from the IRONMAN
route. It was somewhat surreal
chatting to Xolani so close
to the place that could’ve led
him down such a destructive
path. His IRONMAN attempt
in Nelson Mandela Bay stands
in such stark contrast to where
his journey could have ended.
Soon after being released
from prison Xolani had to
have his right leg amputated
as a result of cancer, and
subsequently ended up on the
streets of Pretoria as a drug-
addicted beggar. That was
until three years ago, when
Hein Venter met him while
stopped at a traffic light – and
offered him a job. This turned
his entire life around. Xolani is
now not only employed but has
proved himself a remarkable
athlete. He completed the
Comrades Marathon in 2018
and IRONMAN 70.3 South
Africa in January 2019.
The pinnacle of this
remarkable athletic
T
journey would have been
the IRONMAN African
Championship in Port
Elizabeth in April. However,
it wasn’t meant to be. He
completed the swim despite
the rough conditions this
year, but fell in T1 and broke
two bones in his hand. True
to his nature, he soldiered on,
joining Hein at the back of
their tandem for the bike leg.
Unfortunately they missed the
bike cut-off by six minutes,
in part due to the time it took
for him to receive medical
attention. In any event, a
marathon on crutches with a
broken hand would likely have
been a bridge too far, even for
this incredible man.
Xolani, though, expressed no
regrets when we met after the
race. He quickly told me that
his injury was “meant to be”
and that he had no feelings of
disappointment.
Xolani, how is the recovery
going with your broken
hand, I hope you have
been able to rest up after
IRONMAN? No I’ve just come
back from a walk. I’m feeling
good and am already looking
forward to my new challenges.
I can’t afford to rest, I’m an
athlete and I have IRONAN
70.3 Durban in just over a
month’s time. I don’t want a
break, I just want to compete
in Durban.
You will be doing the
Durban race? I really didn’t
expect that? Yes, IRONMAN
is my thing now and I just
can’t wait to take part. I have
to do the 70.3 Durban. To
make it happen, I had to
switch from crutches to using
a running blade. My hand
has been in a cast since the
fall in Port Elizabeth. I can’t
do anything with crutches
now, so I was forced to start
running with my blade. I can’t
swim either and I can also
only cycle on an exercise
bike. But I am confident that
I will be ready for the 70.3 in
Durban come June, and to do
Comrades a week later.
The Comrades and an
IRONMAN 70.3 in a
week? Yes, I don’t see the
Comrades as a big deal. I will
see it as training for the next
IRONMAN South Africa – that
is still my big aim. As I said,
I’m a triathlete now.
When did you actually
start using the blade? Only
a couple of weeks ago really.
I was sponsored a blade [by
Ossür] a few years ago, but
I wasn’t really using it as it
hurt me and I was doing okay
on my crutches. Last year I
had a small operation on my
stump and it just so happens
that, now when I put the blade
on after IRONMAN, it’s not
hurting at all.
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