Para gymnastics get a lift
To promote gymnastics, former elite South African gymnast and first quadriplegic photographer to shoot at the Olympic Games, Johann Meintjies, visited the Pinetown Gymnastics Club.
JOHANN Meintjies is on a mission to build a formal, national para-gymnastics programme in South Africa.
As part of the programme, SA’s para gymnastics co-ordinator visited the Pinetown Gymnastics Club on Thursday, June 26.
Meintjies, the world’s first quadriplegic photographer to shoot at the Olympic Games, is engaging provincial gymnastics structures to assess needs and growth areas as there is a huge possibility that gymnastics will be included in the Paralympics 2032 event.
Also read: World-record-holding Paralympian aims to break more records
Meintjies suffered a spinal cord injury during a gymnastics competition 42 years ago, resulting in the loss of use of all four limbs. His spirit and love for sports pushed him to reconnect with his passion from behind the camera lens.
Before the injury he was an elite South African gymnast in tumbling and trampoline and represented SA at multiple world championships in the late 1970s.
He said people with visual difficulties, hearing, intellectual and physical challenges can do gymnastics and excel.
“It does not matter even if you have one leg or one arm, we appeal for the people to try the sport,” he said.
Pinetown Gymnastics club manager Allan Chadwick said it was an honour to have Meintjies at the club.
“I toured the USA with him when he was a junior gymnast, he was one of my first appointments as national coach.”
The Pinetown club has members that have competed at the Down Syndrome Gymnastics World Championships
Chadwick, who is also the chairman of the Gymnastics South Africa Local Organising Committee, said the first gymnast with Down Syndrome to start in Pinetown was Charles Phillips, in 2000, at the age of 11.
“These classes have become the highlight of the boys’ week and are headed by our outstanding coach, Faricao Moses, assisted by Gerand Petersen, who both have a wonderful combination of energy, patience and enthusiasm for the young gymnasts,” said Chadwick.
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