PLETTENBERG BAY OLYMPIC NEWS – A lifelong dream for former Plettenberg Bay resident Toni Mould (37) is becoming a reality, as she leaves South Africa's shores on Sunday to participate in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo later this month.
When she was just 12 years old, a mentor told her, "You are going to the Paralympics one day".
"At that stage it sounded like a cruel tease, because I could not do sport. But through the years that followed, that mentor and friend kept reminding me, 'You are off to the Paralympics,'" Mould said.
The paracyclist suffers from cerebral palsy that affects all her muscles, her balance and her speech. She grew up in Plettenberg Bay but lives in Stellenbosch after her tertiary studies took her there.
Mould said she only started cycling in 2013 when she gave in to a friend's "nagging" for her to try out the sport. She had always had a passion for sport growing up, but there were not many opportunities to participate in sport for the disabled in Plett.
At varsity she did participate in ballroom and Latin dancing for the disabled, but due to academic pressure she couldn't pursue sport at the time.
In 2012 she reconnected with a friend who had just been to the London Paralympics in paracycling, who encouraged her to start because she knew she enjoyed cycling and had an old tricycle.
The rest is pretty much history. Since she got on the bike she has accomplished many great feats.
After only nine months of racing in a local league, an event organiser saw her potential to race at national level. She however needed a newer and lighter trike. It took 18 months to raise funds for her new wheels, but in February 2015 she took part in her first South African championship. Since then she has attended every year's nationals, been to four World Cup competitions and three World Championships in four different countries.
Being included in the Paralympics team has however been her greatest accomplishment. More than two decades after her Paralympic dreams were ignited, Mould has been included in the SA team. She will be participating in the Women T1-2 road race and time trial on 31 August and 1 September.
Mould said one of the main reasons she started cycling was to become fitter, stronger and healthier. "With cerebral palsy, it is essential to keep fit, keep the muscles loose and strong, and so forth."
Going to the Paralympics is the attainment of a lifelong dream. "I can finally scream it out…I'm off to Tokyo!"
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