Ntando Mahlangu was born with fibular hemimelia, a condition that meant his legs didn't develop fully below the knees. After spending his childhood in a wheelchair, he made the decision to undergo amputation aged 10. When he received his first set of prosthetic "blade" legs, his whole world changed - and four years later, he was on the podium at the Rio Paralympics, with a silver medal around his neck for finishing second in the T42 200m sprint. By the time he turned 20, he'd added two gold medals for sprinting and long jumping to his collection.
So what's he planning to do next?
Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry hear from Ntando about growing up in rural South Africa, and how he's taught those around him to appreciate disabled people for who they are. He explains how seemingly small things in life have made a huge difference to him, and how walking on blades helped him develop as both an athlete and a human being.
He also shares his perspective on being a veteran in his sport at the age of 22, the lessons he's learned about balancing his athletic career with personal development, and why he now feels a responsibility to build para-athletics for the generations coming through behind him: "Those hurdles are for me to jump, and to make sure the guys that come after me just walk through them."
As the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, delve into our archive to discover more stories of extraordinary sporting journeys. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.
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