OTHOLE indondo yegolide kuma-Paralympic Games, uMpumelelo Mhlongo, uzwakalise ukugculiseka ngendlela ayibambe ngayo kule midlalo.
UMhlongo, ogijime kowamanqamu weT44 100m yabesilisa, uhlomule ngegolide ngesikhathi esiyimizuzwana engu-11.12, waphinda wabuya nethusi ku-T64 200m.
Ngaphambi kwemidlalo yama-Paralympic ka-2024, uMhlongo ubevele ephethe irekhodi lomhlaba emjahweni we-T44 100m ngesikhathi esiyimzuzwana engu-11.00, waqinisekisa indawo yakhe phakathi kwabasubathi abahamba phambili kuma-Paralympic emhlabeni jikelele.
UMpumelelo Mhlongo ovakashele isikole sakhe samabanga aphezulu, iKearsney College ngoLwesithathu, uthe ezemidlalo zineqhaza elikhulu ekulolongeni impilo yakhe.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi ingqikithi yangempela yezemidlalo ukuthi ikuvumela njengomuntu waseNingizimu Afrika ukuthi uvule iminyango yamathuba obungeke ube nawo. Njengoba ngasebenzisa ezemidlalo ukungena e-Kearsney College kodwa ngaqhubeka ngaphikelela kwezemfundo. Ngafundela ubunjiniyela bamakhemikhali. Ngangingeyena owezemidlalo oqavile kodwa ngasebenzisa ezemidlalo ukuze ngingene ohlakeni lwesikole olwaluzosekela enye ingxenye yempilo yami,” usho kanje.
Eqhuba lomsubathi (30) ubudala waseKlaarwater, ngaphandle nje kwasePinetown, uveze ukuthi wazalwa enokukhubazeka okuthinta unyawo lwakhe lwesokudla neminwe.
UMhlongo, owaphothula u-matric ngo-2012, kanti phakathi neminyaka yakhe yesikole, uyena owayebhekelele konke okwakwenzeka endlini ayehlala kuyona nabanye abafundi. Futhi wayengukaputeni weqembu lesibili lebhola lezinyawo lesikole, eyinhloko yekhwaya ehlonishwayo e-Kearsney, eyahlabana ngendondo yegolide kuma-World Choir Games ka-2012.
UMhlongo ubuye wagqama ezifundweni, wathola o-distinction abayisikhombisa futhi waklonyeliswa nge-Academic Honors uCum Laude, manje uqhuba izifundo zakhe ze-PhD.
Lo msubathi we-sprint ne-long jump uthe uthando lukanina nokwesekwa kwamkhuthaza ukuba aphumelele ngaphezu kokukhubazeka kwakhe.
“Ngihlale ngibiza umama wami ngomlingiswa oqavile wokukhula kwami, ngaphandle kwakhe bengingeke ngihlale kunoma yiliphi igumbi elibalulekile. Umama owasho ngokungakhathali ukuthi le ngane ezalwe ikhubazekile izoba impumelelo,” usho kanje.
“Umama uthulule lonke uthando nokwesekwa kule ngane ukuze nakunoma iliphi igumbi engingena kulo, ingazizwa ingafanele ukuba lapho.”
Uthe uyohlale ezizwa exhumene neKearsney College.
“E-Afrika sihlala sithi, ingane ikhuliswa umphakathi wonke kanti i-Kearsney ibe yinsika eyisisekelo eyangenza ngabona ukuthi lapho ubuhlakani bami buhlangabezana nekhono nokuzilungiselela, ngingasebenzisa amathuba ebengingakaze ngiwahlelele,” echaza.
Ngaphambi kokuthi ayogila izimanga kuma-Paralympic Games ka-2024, uMhlongo ubeqokwe njengomdlali ovelele ophila nokukhubazeka kwezokusubatha onyakeni ka-2024.
Ngaphandle kwekhono lakhe kwezokusubatha, uMhlongo wazi izilimi eziyisithupha phakathi kwazo okubalwa isiNgisi, isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiBhunu, isiFulentshi nesiPutukezi.
Uthe iseluleko sakhe kubantu abasha ngesokuthi bagxilise umqondo entweni ephambi kwabo ngaleso sikhathi kunokuthi bagxile emaphusheni akude, abukeka engenakwenzeka. Uthe impumelelo encane yakha ukuzethemba nenqubekela phambili.
“Nginemiyalezo emibili engiyibhekise kubantu abasha. Okokuqala ukuthi ukuqhathanisa kuyisela layo yonke intokozo, ngakho-ke ungabheki isikhathi sabanye abantu bese ucabanga ukuthi kufanele uqondanise lapho bekhona empilweni. Isikhathi sakho sincike kuphela emzamweni, ekuzinikeleni nasenhlanhleni uhambo lwakho oluzoba nayo. Okwesibili, thola okuthile okukunika amandla ngempela nsuku zonke. Konke kumayelana nokuziphatha kwansuku zonke.”