Kids associated with Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund produced some excellent results at this year’s Toyota SA SASAPD National Para Athletics Championships (17-21 March 2019, Stellenbosch).

Para Athletics is a valuable tool to promote participation and integration and Jumping Kids has been staging ‘Exhibition Races’ as far back as 2010 to promote access to sport for its young beneficiaries.

Here’s a recap of top performances by our younger affiliates at 2019 Nationals:

T/F64 athlete, Emile Burgers; our ambassador involved with the Jumping Kids initiative since its launch ten years ago; won Gold in the Final Boys u / 17 100m (0:09:33), Discus (30.70) and Javelin items –  with a whopping 45.60 meters Javelin result for a new SA Record.

In the T42 division, Puseletso Mabote raced to Final Boys u / 15 100m Gold (0:13.56), 200m Gold (0:28.41) and Long Jump Gold with an African Record (04.64) setting best leap measuring 04.64 meters.

Megan Croucamp continued her Nationals medals streak with Gold in the Final Girls u / 17 T/F 42 100m (0:20.16)), Long Jump (02.54), Shot Put (07.03) and Javelin items.

Kim MacDonald; who is associated with Jumping Kids through its ‘Hope School Project’; followed suit with Gold in the Final Women u / 20 T/F 64 100m (0:18.28) Shot Put (04.70) and Long Jump Finals.

Back to the boys division; Pierre Thomas added three top podiums for North West Province with Gold in the Final Boys u / 17 T44 100m (0:17.03), T64 High Jump (01.35) and F64 Shot Put (06.77) items.

Also on form, our young ambassador from Zimbabwe; Pride Mafira added another three to the tally with Gold in the Final Boys u /15 T44 100m (0:20.55), Long Jump (02.39) and Shot Put finals.

Paralympian and Jumpin,g Kids ambassador Ntando Mahlangu was on fire; three world marks in the Men’s Open Finals T61 category – 100m (0:12.77 SAR WR), 200m (0:23.57 SAR WR) and Long Jump (06.47 SAR WR).

He added another two golden results in the 400m (0:48.64) and 800m (02:01.25) events.

T62 blade-sprinter, Paul Daniels dashed to gold and a new SA Record in the Men u/20 100m (0:12.76) for Western Province, while Tebogo Mofokeng, representing North West Province, produced a solid performance in the Men u/20 T 63 100m (0:12.59) and 200m (0:24.89) finals for Gold.

Kgotso Letsoalo, Jumping Kids ambassador since 2010 who competes from a seated position, added Gold in the Boys u/17 Javelin (F57) final with his best measuring 12.92 meters. He also achieved Gold in the Discus (15.54) and Silver in the Shot Put (06.58) finals in his division.

In further field action, Lesego Kakana; herself  a Jumping Kids ambassador since her first above-knee mobility solution back in 2010; added another Silver with a throw measuring 4.85m in the Girls u/17 Shot Put (F42) division.

Last but not least, a Jumping Kids ambassador since the charity’s launch in 2009; Mpho Madulwane rounded things off for Gauteng with Gold in the Final Women u/20 F52 Shot Put with her best heave measuring 02.94 meters.

Congratulations to all our young athletes for some outstanding results.

Author: Liezel van Rensburg

Photographer: Martin Potgieter