Three South Africans associated with the Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund were invited to represent their country at the 2025 edition of the Dream Program that took place from 6-19 January in South Korea.
Bongani Mahlangu, Edwin Nelson, and Simnikiwe Bosman; all three of which are lower limb prosthetic device users, were selected by SASCOC to attend the event where they had the opportunity to train in a variety of winter sports such as snowboarding, skiing and skating while also experiencing Korean culture.
Hosted by the PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation and Gangwon-do Province, the Dream Program is designed to promote international youth exchange and expand the winter sports base by inviting athletes with potential from countries with limited access to winter sports.
Despite having faced the challenges of living with limb loss and navigating the world as prosthetic device users, the three invited South Africans have shown great tenacity in overcoming the obstacles associated with traumatic limb loss and made the most of their opportunity to experience winter sports at its finest.
We caught up with Bongani Mahlangu to get his feedback on the experience in Korea.
- Tell us about your experience at the Dream Program?
“We had a great experience at the Dream Program. Experiencing the actual weather conditions which included snow and temperatures reaching minus 23 degrees, the landscape and breathtaking surroundings, and the ski instructors who were very supportive with us first-timers. Also, meeting new people from other countries was part of the great experience and one of the highlights for me.
The event itself was fantastic and insightful. It came with a lot of new skills which needed attention as injuries could easily come your way if you disregard the safety instructions. Although it came with its challenges, which for me was getting used to the ski equipment as it was a first and rather difficult to use, especially the mono-ski since there is one ski instead of two. However, the instructors were very patient and provided helpful tips and lessons.
The winter sport I participated in was Alpine Skiing. This sport required my focus and ability to manoeuvre between the posts which are called gates. Given a choice, I would like to further pursue Alpine Skiing, or Cross-Country Skiing. I would also like to try Para Bobsleigh in future”.
2. What did you think about Korean culture?
“The Korean culture was an amazing experience. I learnt a lot about their language and some of their famous foods such as Kimchi and the Korean barbeque. Some of the highlights also included being exposed to the practice of Taekwondo, and the Korean drum known as the Janggu”.
3. What is your message to SASCOC and the Organisers of the 2025 Dream Program?
“On behalf of Edwin, Simnikiwe and myself I would like to thank SASCOC and the Organizers for the trip to Korea. We had an amazing experience, and I would like to continue to pursue winter sports, given the opportunity, until I reach Olympics’ level. I am a very competitive person and would love to compete for South Africa at a future Winter Games.
