“Sponsorship helps in so many ways, besides it just being money …” this is the view of Sandra Khumalo. The Paralympian shared some valuable insight with gsport as to how para-athletes can garner much-needed funding as they look to build their careers in their sport.
The rower was at the height of her career over a decade ago when she participated in both the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics, making not just herself but also the country proud of her achievements.
It’s safe to say that Khumalo knows the value a sponsor can bring and how para-athletes can go about doing that. She said back then, acquiring financial backing was an arduous task, but added that taking the initiative in finding a sponsor is key to success.
“It wasn’t easy. We tried together with our coach to look out for sponsorship, which companies usually sponsor athletes, and reached out to them. The biggest thing is to reach out and find out who is sponsoring out there, and what the requirements are. Apply for it! Don’t sit back and think SASCOC will be doing, this it is also your responsibility!”
2012 and 2016 Paralympian, Sandra Khumalo
“Something will always come up, keep going, keep up with performances, and capture everything that you are doing. Don’t give up and sit back and think you don’t have anyone that will help you. Also, ask around to other sporting codes: who is sponsoring you, or who is helping you? How did you get here? With that, you can put things together.”
For Khumalo, her needs during her career didn’t differ much from what the athletes of today would also need. She says if some of the basics are handled, it takes significant pressure off.
“With us, we were looking for medical aid, transport, and food because you need to have proper nutritious food for you to be able to perform, you need to be on a certain diet. Also, if you are driving yourself, perhaps they have someone who helps with petrol money. Even being able to get your car fixed should something happen is something sponsorship can help with.”
Being on the Paralympics stage is something that Khumalo has fond memories of, and she feels that the event is the perfect platform to speak to athletes to better provide for their various needs.
“Having conversations with athletes about how did they find the Paralympics, what did they learn from the Paralympics, where they won or lost. You never lose because you always learn something from it, what was lacking from your side, and why. Maybe some lacked transportation, so they couldn’t attend training as much as they should have, or is there a medical doctor taking care of the athletes, just making sure they are fine health-wise?”
“Also, getting their test done and educating them on what type of protein shake supplements they can take, in terms of doping, because we have incidents where people say they didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to have that.”
For any athlete, physical health plays a huge role in ensuring they can perform at their optimum, and the same goes for disabled athletes. Khumalo feels having the right medical team behind you can do wonders for you, and the biggest way to ensure such help is with financial backing.
“Sponsorship comes in handy when you have a doctor who can tell you what you can and can’t eat. Also, you can have a Biokineticist for the team that trains athletes to build their muscles, making sure you are working on the correct muscles and you are doing it correctly so that you don’t injure yourself. If you are training and have pain, they should be able to report that information to your coach, and then you can go for X-rays to see what is going on.”
“If you don’t have a team doctor, it becomes something else because if someone gets an injury, you might not know. As para-athletes, we also get treatments like massages that release your muscles, not for relaxation but for releasing your muscles that help your recovery. Then, the next day, you can perform, but if you just work out, your muscles get tense, and you end up getting injured, and you are not able to perform properly because you are in pain. After all, there is no one there to take care of that,” she said.
This year marks 20 years since Khumalo’s accident, she says she would never have believed she would get to where she is today after what happened to her. However, the mom of two might not be in the water full-time anymore, but she is still as busy as ever.
“I am still very active and working out. I gym, and I have recently joined para-Crossfit, and we are trying to raise awareness around it. I know that a lot of able-bodied do cross-fit competitions all over the world. I am one of the people that is doing para-Crossfit. I won the first two competitions that I participated in, and I can say in the para section I am the top one. Last year, we had the French squad come and compete with us, and it was very good, and then lost to the French girl, and I was second.”
Khumalo was also invited to join the Wheelchair Rugby team once she is up to the right fitness, she will be a fully fledged team member.
On the professional career front, Khumalo has made a name for herself in the medical industry. She currently works for Convatec and trains nurses and doctors to use catheters.
“I have been focusing on my work, and I work for Convatec, and what I do is that I am in the continence care department. So, I work with rehab centres, urologists, and different doctors in the country developing a catheter. It’s an intermittent catheter that is used by people who have lost the use of their bladders. So in training, I help in how to use the product. I train nurses on how to use it, doctors who are newly introduced to it, and patients who are newly diagnosed. It might be spinal cord injuries or the able-bodied who are having bladder complications, maybe because of cancer or various diseases.”
Khumalo had this parting advice for para-athletes looking to fulfil their potential:
“The next Paralympics is far away, but this is where you start building your performances now, the four-year building process. You start this year maybe working on your endurance, but the work starts now. You write down things that you need to achieve, and it’s very important to write your goals down. What you need to take out of yourself to perform to become a Paralympian, but everything starts now.”
Main Photo Caption: “Sponsorship helps in so many ways besides just money …” this is the view of Sandra Khumalo. The Paralympian shared some valuable insight with gsport as to how para-athletes can garner much-needed funding as they look to build their careers in their sport. All Photos: Supplied
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