CRADOCK NEWS - Nxuba’s Bonakele Ntshangase (44) competed a high school fundraiser fun run in Cape Town on 15 March, and completed the 5km on his crutches in a time of 48:17.
He is already looking forward to his next race, the Mercedes-Benz 15km, in East London on 29 March.
Ntshangase is an athletics coach in Nxuba (formerly Cradock). He lost his right leg as it had to be amputated above the knee, after an unknown assailant had shot him in the leg on 2 April 2022.
After receiving treatment in Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha, he can only be receive further help in eMalahleni (formerly Witbank) in Mpumalanga, where he has to go for follow-up treatment and the fitting of a prosthetic leg.
He has no medical aid and covers his own medical expenses.
Ntshangase runs his own personal training centre, the Bonakele Running Academy in Nxuba, and he coaches adults and learners.
He is especially proud of one of his previous students, Buhle Mgqibela, who took part in the Athletics Gauteng North Track and Field Juniors Championships in Pretoria on 14 March.
Ntshangase reached many goals before the amputation, among them the following special achievements:
In 2000, he was the national cross-country champion, awarded in Pretoria, and in 2002, the ISF cross-country champion, awarded in the Czech Republic.
In 2005, he was a silver medallist in the Southern Region Cross-country in Mauritius. In 2005, he finisehd the IAAF Cross-country Championship in France in 88th position.
In 2016, he took part in the ASA Cross-country Championship in George, and was a silver medallist.
During 2019, he was awarded special recognition as the Cradock Athletics Coach of the Year, and became the Eastern Province Athletics Youth Team Coach later that same year.
Making huge strides as an athlete with disabilities, Ntshangase is currently registered with the Eastern Province Athletics and Eastern Cape Disability Association.
During 2024, he completed the Cradock park run of 5km in a time of 50:17, and is currently the record holder for that under runners with disabilities.
He also took part in the 2024 Cape Town Marathon, doing the 10km for disabled persons, and is the current record holder with a time of 01:43.
His split time was recorded as 9 min 55 sec for 1km.
He also completed the 2024 N1 City 10km race for athletes with disabilities, with a personal record of 01:44:31.
“I am working towards the Paralympics in 2028, which will also depend on the possibility of a prosthetic leg.
Once I have that, I will be able to compete in the Amakrokokroko team for my country,” Ntshangase said.
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