Nicolas Pieter du Preez

Reason: He previously competed in non-Para cycling and triathlon at university level in South Africa. After his accident, he returned to sport in 2005 playing wheelchair rugby. He wanted to work towards returning to triathlon so began handcycling, and made the national Para cycling team in 2010. "I was born to be in sport. That's the way I've been all of my life before and after my accident." (paralympic.org, 24 Jul 2020; modernathlete.co.za, 01 Aug 2013) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paralympic.org, 16 Jun 2023) Milestones: At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo he became the second South African [after Ernst Van Dyk] to win a Paralympic gold medal in cycling when he triumphed in the men's H1 time trial. (SportsDeskOnline, 12 Aug 2024) Awards: He was named Sportsman of the Year with a Disability at the 2021 South African Sport Awards. (ewn.co.za, 14 Mar 2022) He was nominated for the 2015 Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability award, but did not win. (paralympic.org, 19 Apr 2016; citizen.co.za, 02 Mar 2016) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES He has served as an ambassador for Wings for Life, a non-profit research foundation that focuses on spinal cord injuries. (redbull.com, 26 Feb 2016)