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Mandilene Hoffman secures spot in Commonwealth Games team

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Mandilene Hoffman secures spot in Commonwealth Games team

With 15 days to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Eyewitness News caught up with para-athlete Mandilene Hoffman and her dad and mom Nico van Harmelen and Madri van Harmelen about making the team.

Mandilene Hoffman set a brand new African document in the ladies’s U20 discus (F44) throw on the latest South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled National Championships. Picture: @SASAPD/Twitter

JOHANNESBURG – The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has introduced an extra 61 athletes to the Team South Africa squad that can characterize the nation on the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

With 15 days to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Eyewitness News caught up with para-athlete Mandilene Hoffman and her dad and mom Nico van Harmelen and Madri van Harmelen about making the team.

READ: Mandilene Hoffman a rising star in SA’s incapacity sports activities

The 18-year-old shall be a part of the South African team that can characterize the nation on the upcoming Commonwealth Games and goals of collaborating in the Paralympics in some unspecified time in the future in her profession.

“At first I couldn’t believe it as it was one of my wishes when I was 13 years old to participate in the Commonwealth Games. I was absolutely overjoyed that one of my goals came true. It was unbelievable to hear my name being announced and to see my name on TV. My dream actually became a reality. I am very thankful that para-athletes can compete at the same Games as other athletes” mentioned Hoffman.

The Commonwealth Games will happen from 28 July to eight August.

READ MORE: Yane van der Merwe goals of a PB and medal on the Commonwealth Games

“I was very elated that all Mandilené’s hard work had finally resulted in her being selected for an event as important as this,” mentioned her father, Nico van Harmelen.

The complete South African team contains, for the primary time, extra girls than males.

The team of 251, has elevated in dimension from the 194 South Africans who travelled to Gold Coast 4 years in the past.

“I was very proud of her as since 2017, the Commonwealth Games were one of her greatest wishes to participate in. I was ecstatic to be the mother of such a determined daughter for achieving her goals and never using her disability to not achieve anything in her life” mentioned her mom, Madri van Harmelen.

The 18-year-old was born with EZH2 overgrowth syndrome. The situation outcomes in everlasting patella [kneecap] dislocation and instability ensuing in no knee extension, in addition to harm to the muscle and nerves in her proper leg. She additionally has normal muscle impairment in each legs.

“I had a more or less normal upbringing, unaware that my disability was actually a disability, and accepted it as part of my life. My knees dislocating and me falling often and me being taller than all my classmates and walking with more difficulty was not something I perceived as anything abnormal until later when we started consulting some specialists in my early teens. Most traumatic for me was when a knee specialist recommended an operation on my right knee to correct my displaced patella at age 8,” Mandilene defined.

The operation that the para-athlete refers to broken her nerves, muscular tissues, progress plate, and patella in her proper leg. She has patella displacement in each legs, tilting of her hip to the fitting, and scoliosis of the backbone.

Hoffman wears a again brace for 20 hours of the day, walks with the help of a walk-on flex on her proper leg attributable to a drop foot and patella displacement. She additionally wears a everlasting knee brace on her left knee to forestall power dislocation of her left patella. She has additionally had operations on each palms in 2015 to appropriate the camptodactyly – a uncommon situation the place a finger — or fingers — is mounted in a bent place on the center joint, and can’t totally straighten.

“I cannot wait to step into the circle and do what I do best. I also cannot wait to meet and befriend my fellow South African team mates from all sporting codes. I am also looking forward to again meet one of my heroes, Sarah Edmiston from Australia, whom I have last seen at the World Championships in 2019,” mentioned Hoffman of the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

At the South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled (SASAPD) National Championships, the para-athlete set a brand new African document in the ladies’s U20 discus (F44) with a 31.66m throw.

Hoffman was launched to incapacity sport in 2016 and has since made certain that she outdoes herself on the sector.

“Johan Snyders and Fred Furstenburg introduced me to the disabled sports environment in 2016, and I am forever grateful to them for this,” she mentioned.

The teenager, who gained a gold medal on the 2019 World Junior Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland, took up shot put at a younger age and has by no means seemed again.

“Firstly, I would to say that no athlete is an island. I have a full village behind me to help me reach my goals. In my village there are firstly my coach of 9 years, Janita Eva, secondly Chrisna Oosthuizen, my bio-kineticist of 8 years, next Johan Snyders, my Orthotist of the last 6 years. Elmari Smit, my physiotherapist for the past 6 years. Without any of these individuals, I would not be where I am now. To them, and others that have supported me on this journey, I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart” mentioned Hoffman.

For the primary time in historical past, the Commonwealth Games incorporate each able-bodied and para-athletes on the identical video games.

“She must go and have fun, fully enjoy the experience and perform to the best of her abilities. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her” mentioned her father.

South African Olympic Committee vice-president and hockey official Lwandile Simelane has been named as Chef de Mission for the team.

According to the organisers, 72 nations and territories shall be represented at Birmingham 2022. Around 6,500 athletes and team officers shall be in attendance.

Medals shall be on supply throughout 19 sports activities and eight Para sports activities. There shall be 283 medal occasions. With Birmingham 2022 anticipated to have unrestricted entry for followers in contrast to the Tokyo Summer Olympics and the Beijing Winter Olympics, organisers predict a reside viewers of round 30,000 individuals in the Alexander Stadium for the Opening Ceremony in addition to a TV viewers of round one billion.

“ I want Mandilené to always keep her goals in sight and to believe in her abilities and to enjoy every minute of this great honour to represent South Africa once again,” mentioned her mom of the upcoming video games.

The sports activities represented in the team are Para-athletics, seashore volleyball, boxing, cricket, biking, gymnastics, hockey, judo, garden bowls, netball, Para garden bowls, swimming, Para swimming, desk tennis, wheelchair basketball, triathlon, Para triathlon, rugby sevens and weightlifting.



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