Beyond limits

Paralympian athlete Mpumelelo Mhlongo was born with amniotic band syndrome with a deformed club foot which is a rare congenital condition caused by strands of the amniotic sac that separate and entangle digits, limbs, or other parts of the fetus.

Mpumelelo competed in his first Paralympic Games in Rio in 2016. Since then, he has competed in the 100m, 200m, long jump and high jump events. He is the current World and Paralympic record holder for 100m and long jump. Most recently, Mpumelelo won the men’s 100m T44 at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris earlier this year. He has been instrumental in lobbying the International Paralympic Committee to revisit their classification rules and create an equitable environment for athletes living with lower limb deficiencies.

Tipped to be the next Proteas superstar, in 2019, after playing one of the best cricket matches of his career, then 26-year-old Solomzi Nqweni’s life changed forever. The South African cricket player was in Scotland when he was struck by the life-threatening autoimmune disease known as Guillain-Barré syndrome. His mind remained intact, but he lost the ability to walk, talk and swallow overnight. He recalls it as the scariest experience of his life.

Zamo is an extraordinary leader and visionary in the field of clinical psychology, with a passion for improving mental health care on a large scale. With over a decade of experience in South Africa’s public mental health sector, Zamo has established himself as a trusted authority and influential figure. Through his insightful and data-driven approach, he spearheads strategies to move the world of mental healthcare from its reactive roots to a predictive and proactive future.