Passion pays off

After thirteen years as a qualified surfing judge, judging in national and international competitions, Bongani Xulu will finally be awarded his national colours when he joins the South African team to the World Adaptive Surfing Championships in California later this month.

“I am so excited, I am counting the days until I leave,” said Salt Rock’s Xulu, grinning from ear to ear.

This is the first time the International Surfing Association (ISA) is hosting this groundbreaking event and Xulu, together with teammates Dries Millard, Ant Smyth, JP Veaudry and Bruce Campbell have been chosen by Surfing South Africa (SSA) to represent the country.

While they will be competing, Xulu is going to the event as an official.

“We will structure the event and lay the basic foundations, because this event cannot be judged like any other surfing competition,” said Xulu.

First he will attend an adaptive surfing clinic to learn more about how the competition will be run.

The clinic, a symposium and the official competition, will all be held in San Diego from September 23 to September 27.

This means more to Xulu then most.

As it awards him the opportunity to join a national team and thereby receive his national colours.

“The passion has finally paid off,” said Xulu proudly.

And to top it off, SA surfing legend Shaun Tomson will award his colours at a ceremony organised by the South African Sports Committee and Olympic Confederation (SASCOC).

“Getting my national colours from Shaun just makes it that much more special.”

Born and bred in Salt Rock, Xulu is well known as KwaDukuza’s lifeguard supervisor and as a surfer in his own right.

Despite losing his left leg in an accident when he was 14 years old, he has refused to allow his disability to hold him back.

Xulu is particularly excited for the one day that the ISA has set aside during the event where he, along with the other qualified ISA surf instructors, will give back by teaching people how to surf and how to handle people with disabilities in the water.

“I am so stoked, because I will be relevant over there, showing other people that you can surf with a disability.”

The always smiling, always humble Xulu sees this trip of a lifetime as a vehicle to inspire others.

“I am so thankful for KwaDukuza for always supporting me in everything. I hope that through this trip my lifeguards are inspired to work hard and achieve their goals. I see how hard they work and I am so grateful that I have a team I can rely on when I am not there.”

When Xulu and his teammates return from California, Surfing South Africa will host a road trip to educate people on surfing with disabilities, because “anything is possible if you put your mind to it”.