Gwala ready to push himself to the limit at Cape Epic

Durban para-athlete Mhlengi Gwala will for the first time test the limits of his endurance and resilience when he lines up for the gruelling Absa Cape Epic this weekend. The eight-day mountain bike race, widely regarded as one of the toughest in the world, represents another chapter in a remarkable sporting journey that has seen Gwala overcome life-threatening adversity to compete at an elite level. “I feel nervous and even a little scared, but there’s no turning back,” said Gwala ahead of the event.

“I know I’ve put in the work. Now is the time to shine and achieve our goal.” Gwala, who grew up in KwaZulu-Natal, was not initially exposed to organised sport as a child, rather he spent his time herding cows and goats. “At school I only played a little soccer and did some karate because my dad was involved in it,” he said.

His sporting journey began in earnest after he moved to Chesterville township, where he became involved in lifesaving and later worked as a lifeguard. The sport quickly ignited his competitive spirit. Gwala went on to compete at the South African Lifesaving Championships in 2014 and 2015, where he was crowned national champion.

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During that period he also discovered his natural ability for endurance sport, eventually transitioning into triathlon. However, his life changed dramatically in 2018 when he was attacked while cycling to Durban. “They took me into the bushes and began cutting my leg with a chainsaw,” he recalled.

Despite the horrific ordeal, Gwala survived and began the long road to recovery, spending weeks in hospital before starting rehabilitation. With support from family, friends and prosthetic specialists from Grobbelaar and Cass, he gradually returned to sport. Learning to walk and train with a prosthetic leg proved one of the toughest challenges.

“It was difficult to fit it properly on my stump, and initially I couldn’t walk or even take a single step.” But the para-athlete refused to give up. Since then he has won African and national championship titles, including the 2025 World Triathlon Para Championships while continuing to pursue his dream of competing at the Paralympics.

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