Mukundi Mashamba says that she hopes to be successful in life.  Even if living with a disability has its obstacles, she believes in maintaining a positive attitude and to just deal with it as it comes.

Mukundi was born with congenital complications resulting in a total absence of the tibia on her right leg and a shortened tibia on her left.

After extensive research, in 2012 the family decided that Mukundi’s best chance to lead a full, active life is to go through with a bilateral amputation. Two months later she was fitted with her first set of walking prostheses by Prosthetist, Johan Snyders – also the founder of the Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund, of which Mukundi is a beneficiary.

Since then, the previously reserved Mukundi has become an active, confident young lady; wanting to try everything that she can that pushes her physical limits.

In 2023, Mukundi represented Gauteng Province at the Toyota SASAPD National Para athletics Championships in Cape Town where she won gold in the Women’s U-17 100m and 200m races.

She said, after participating for the first time as a T61 (track, bilateral above-knee prosthetic device user) athlete, that she feels inspired by the experience and that she is ready to work hard to reach her goals.

Have a look at the Q&A with Mukundi’s mom for a parental perspective.

HIGHLIGHTS since becoming a Jumping Kids beneficiary…

• Placed 6th in the girls under-17 200m T61 race at the Bloemfontein 2024 Toyota SASAPD National Championships.
• Won TWO gold medals for Gauteng Province in the Women’s U-17 100m and 200m T42/61 races at the 2023 Toyota SASAPD National Championships in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Selected to represent Gauteng Province in the 100m and 200m U 14 Women’s T61 races at the 2023 Toyota SASAPD National Championships in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Participation in the This Is Me photographic exhibition by photographer, Sarah Manig in 2022.
• Represented the Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund at the 2022 Komatsu Jumping Kids Golf Day.
• Beneficiary recipient of an educational bursary from the Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund to start high school at Pretoria Girls High School in 2021.
• Represented Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund in the Unite and Excite campaign in collaboration with Paralympian, Richard Whitehead.
• Represented Jumping Kids at the Celebrate Life #67minutes4JumpingKidsMandela Day event (2014)
• Started her primary school education at a mainstream school catering for able-body learners and is making very good progress socially and academically (2014)
• Has become everyone’s favorite grade one learner at Danie Malan School (2014)
• Represented Jumping Kids at theStepUp500 Challenge in (2013) with para-athlete Tyrone Pillay
• Represented the Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund at the Ro3 Oasis Water4Good event (2012) with Paralympic double medallist Arnu Fourie and Springbok  Morné Steyn
• Participated in the Unite and Excite event in support of Paralympian Richard Whitehead and the Paralympic movement
• Participated in a Throwing Clinic with Denmark’s three-time Paralympic champion Jackie Christiansen