Mpumelelo Mhlongo

Started: He took up athletics in 2001 in Pinetown, South Africa. He got involved in Para athletics in 2014 at the University of Cape Town Athletics Club in South Africa. (uct.ac.za, 20 Jul 2016; Athlete, 23 Oct 2015; Athlete, 01 Sep 2024) Reason: He liked playing team sports growing up and saw it as a way of making friends. "It was through trying to get fit for soccer again in university, and I joined the track and field team of the University of Cape Town. I was at one of the meets, just trying to do my high jump - I'm a big fan of high jump, it was my second love after soccer. Then a guy came up to me and he was like, 'What's wrong with your leg?' And I said, 'Uh, I don't know, what's wrong with yours?' He said, 'It looks like you could actually be classified as a Para athlete'." (mg.co.za, 02 Aug 2019; Athlete, 12 Jul 2017) Ambition: To win gold and set a world record at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (toyotaconnect.co.za, 19 Mar 2024) Awards: He and Para swimmer Kathrine Swanepoel were named joint flag bearers for South Africa for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (teamsa.co.za, 11 Jul 2024) He received the Sportsman of the Year with a Disability award for 2023 at the Athletics South Africa [ASA] Awards. (ewn.co.za, 09 Feb 2024) He was flag bearer for South Africa at the opening ceremony of the 2023 World Championships in Paris, France. (Instagram profile, 04 Aug 2023) In 2021 he received the Western Cape Ministerial Commendation in South Africa. (enca.com, 09 Jun 2023; westerncape.gov.za, 24 Mar 2021) In 2019 he received the Sportsman with a Disability of the Year award at the Cape Town District Sports Awards in South Africa. (southernmail.co.za, 25 Nov 2020) He was named the Sportsperson of the Year from 2015 to 2019 by the University of Cape Town in South Africa, becoming the first person to receive the award at the university for five consecutive years. (southernmail.co.za, 25 Nov 2020; news.uct.ac.za, 15 Oct 2019; news.uct.ac.za, 22 Oct 2018; Athlete, 12 Jul 2017) Additional Info: AWARENESS CAMPAIGN In 2019 he began the #SomeoneWhoCares campaign on social media to bring greater attention to the challenges faced by people living with an impairment. "This is not just an African challenge but one for the entire world, even if the situation within my continent seems that much more bleak. The truth is that despite being part of the community, I do not know how to change the way the disabled are viewed in South Africa and other countries across the continent. However, I do believe that through my successes as a Para athlete and advocacy, a global spotlight can be shone on this issue, and if that can happen, change could happen." (southernmail.co.za, 25 Nov 2020; medium.com, 12 Jul 2019) BUSINESS OWNER In 2018 he co-founded a digital healthcare company called Steady State. "We want to get involved in public healthcare to provide simple solutions that could save lives. In the digital age, we should never have people dying in hospital because they're understaffed." (LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2022; newframe.com, 05 Jun 2020; mg.co.za, 02 Aug 2019) FURTHER EDUCATION In 2018 he graduated with a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He has also studied for a PhD in chemical engineering at the same university. (eNCA YouTube channel, 03 Jun 2023; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2022; mg.co.za, 02 Aug 2019; medium.com, 12 Jul 2019) OCCUPATION He has worked as a climate risk analyst at a financial service provider in Johannesburg, South Africa. (enca.com, 09 Jun 2023; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2022)

Sporting Relatives: His younger brother Asane has competed in sprinting. (uct.ac.za, 20 Jul 2016)