Pfariso Rakonanani, a well-known disabled athlete from Sambandou, is currently training hard in preparation for the National Championships for the Physically Disabled, to be held in Cape Town from 16 to 22 March this year.
Though he is making sure that he is physically ready to do Vhembe proud, he is still in dire need of proper running shoes and pleads with the corporate sector or any Good Samaritans to help him gear up.
Rakonanani qualified for the championship during the trials that were held in Louis Trichardt on 12 November last year. "I am now preparing with the sole aim of qualifying for the 2024 Paralympics in France. I am optimistic that I will qualify and bring the Paralympic gold medal home, but I need good running shoes," he said.
The diminutive athlete was born with deformed arms. Because his parents knew nothing about available schools for the disabled, he started school at his rural village of Sambandou, where he competed with kids who were not disabled and outran them. "At the time, I didn't realise that I was disabled. I thought I just had shorter arms than the others." During his student days, he won three national gold medals.
Rakonanani is very excited about competing at the National Championships for the Physically Disabled. The trip, accommodation and registration cost R7 500, of which the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture pays R7 000 for each athlete. This means that they only have to pay R500 from their own pockets. "Considering the fact that most of us as disabled athletes do not work, R500 is still a lot of money. But, as this is such a big opportunity for us, we do all we can to come up with this money. Running in the Olympics is every athlete in the world's dream," he said.
Those who would like to help Rakonanani with running shoes can contact him on 076 328 8815.