Local News
Wheelchair athletes aim to make Comrades history─── 15:32 Thu, 26 May 2016
Bloemfontein - Chaeli Mycroft and Anita Engelbrecht aim to be the first ever wheelchair athletes to participate in the Comrades Marathon this Sunday.
Their challenge to the rule that no wheelchairs or mechanical aids are allowed in the race was approved by Athletics South Africa on 18 April.
Mycroft, who was born with cerebral palsy and is a spastic quadriplegic, says she is just glad she can set the precedence for disabled athletes after months of back and forth discussions with the organisers.
“We are so excited because we have been fighting for our right to participate since February. And being able to be the first wheelchair athlete to participate in the ultimate human race is an honour and an incredible thing too.”
This wouldn’t be Mycroft’s first such feat as she became the first woman quadriplegic to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in September 2015. Her mother is originally from Bloemfontein, but the 21-year-old Mycroft grew up in Cape Town. She is registered for an Honours degree in Social Policy and Management at the University of Cape Town. She has a customized three-wheeled wheelchair to participate in the race.
The two will also be aiming to raise funds for their inclusive sports charity, Chaeli Sports & Recreation Club, on Sunday. They will be assisted by their running partners on the 89km downhill run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
Moeketsi Mogotsi/OFM News
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