'I am carrying the South African flag on my shoulders'
South Africa’s Donald Ramphadi will make his Paralympic debut on Friday with the stage in Paris a long way, both literally and figuratively, from Mogapeng – the village of his birth.
Ramphadi was a very active child who would often rush out of school to play football on the streets or in the fields with his friends for hours on end.
At the age of 12, however, everything changed as Ramphadi, who up until that point was fully able-bodied, developed osteogenesis imperfecta, otherwise known as brittle bone disease.
During the next five years, Ramphadi’s mobility deteriorated to the point he was unable to walk. It was an exceptionally difficult time although things slowly improved after his mother encouraged him to start walking with a cane she collected from a nearby forest.
Nevertheless, his disability remained and personal tragedy followed when his mother passed away, with Ramphadi assuming responsibility for his two younger sisters as head of the household.
By this stage Ramphadi was studying at Filadelfia Secondary School in Soshanguve where his love for wheelchair tennis developed, although his life continued to lack stability in the ensuing years.
Now a father, Ramphadi’s life changed forever when at the age of 25 he received a telephone call from Tennis South Africa in relation to classification for wheelchair tennis’s quad division. This was a game-changer.
From there began a journey which has seen the 31-year-old reach the Paralympic Games – for many, the pinnacle of disability sport. The achievement certainly resonates.
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“This means so much to me,” he said. “I have spent years trying to qualify for the Paralympics and now that I am here, already it is a win.
“But also, I keep on reminding myself that I am carrying the South African flag on my shoulders. I will go out there and try to represent my country well.
“I have always had big dreams and, even when times were tough, I felt I would do well in the years ahead. The fact that I am here shows that I have been working hard.
“I have never woken up and thought negatively, not for a day, and that is something which I believe has pushed me to this point.”
Ramphadi’s first Paralympic involvement will come on Friday when he and fellow South African Lucas Sithole will join forces in the quad doubles against Chile’s Francisco Cayulef and Diego Perez.
The draw for the singles, meanwhile, pitted Ramphadi against Brazil’s Leandro Pena in the first round, with the winner facing the daunting prospect of world No. 1 Sam Schroder in the next round.
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In some senses, the on-court action will take care of itself. For the time being, Ramphadi is intent on soaking up all things Paralympics before the serious business gets underway.
“I have been at the Paralympic Village and it is wonderful meeting people from different sports, cultures and countries,” added Ramphadi.
“It has been amazing getting to know them and learning things about their countries and cultures. It has been amazing so far and I am enjoying the experience.
“In terms of the draw, it is not going to be easy. Everyone who qualifies for the Paralympics is good at what they do. I feel the draw at the Paralympic Games is the same as the draw at a Grand Slam; there are no easy matches.
“I am looking forward to playing, enjoying myself and showcasing my talents on the biggest stage in the world.”
Ramphadi is currently ranked No. 6 in the quad division of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour Rankings having enjoyed some memorable moments in recent years.
He and Sithole were key members of South Africa’s quad team that became the first South African team to reach a BNP Paribas World Team Cup final in 2022, while last year Ramphadi won the doubles at Roland Garros alongside Great Britain’s Andy Lapthorne.
The French capital clearly holds special memories, although Ramphadi's mission here features the bigger picture and not just personal performance.
“Back home, there are only really two sport codes being played in village and the surrounding areas: soccer and netball,” said Ramphadi. “I am trying to show kids there are lots of sports out there which they can participate in.
“There are disadvantages back home but I would love to introduce, or help introduce, different sport codes. That is actually a big passion of mine.”