Living wit fibular hemimelia, na congenital condition wey dey make di lower leg to under-develop, and na major challenge on e own, so imagine say pipo dey bully you as you dey grow up wit dat kain tin and for environment wey no make sense.
If pesin understand, pesin go appreciate di mental strength of South African Ntando Mahlangu, wey win two gold medals for dis year Paralympics.
Although e face hardship as a child, di 19-year-old, wey win gold for di 200m and long jump – wit world record jump – for Tokyo, don manage to achieve sporting success wey few pipo fit dream of.
E grow up on top wheelchair for one village for Tweefontein, one hour drive from di capital Pretoria.
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“To dey disable as pikin for South Africa, Africa, no dey easy,” Mahlangu tell BBC Sport Africa.
“Dem bully me well-well sake of my disability but I gat to overcome am and stand up for myself, wey I do later on for my life.
“Dat na one of my challenges. Anoda na to get my first blades and how to use am waka.”
As wit so much for im life, di BBC African Sports Personality of di Year nominee don manage to make such issues no be like big tin.
Knife-edge decision
Mahlangu coach Neil Cornelius believe say im fit be one of di best para-athletes ever, but e for dey very different.
“At first, I bi wan play soccer,” e explain.
“I love soccer but with di circumstances dem give me, I no fit play di sport, so I get to change direction. Dem introduce me to athletics for 2014 – I try am and I love am.”
Just two years later, Mahlangu – den wey be just 14 – win di first of im three Paralympic medals wen e take silver for di T42 200m event at Rio 2016.
E represent ogbonge turnaround from di biggest decision of Mahlangu life wen, for 2012, di den 10-year-old get to choose weda or not to amputate both im legs for di knee.
“Dem amputate me for May and for September, I get my first pair of [prosthetic] legs – dat change bin dey very easy, di decision [no easy],” e remember.
“I take dat decision very early on, as I know wetin I sign up for. Emotionally and mentally, I bin dey very young and wen dem ask me to amputate my legs, I dey like, ‘why not?’
“I dey very young so I just take di decisions, but those decisions wey be like I no tink am well I no regret because look where I dey today. I dey very happy.”
Just four months afa im life-changing experience, Mahlangu receive im first set of blades through di South African charity Jumping Kids – and e never look back since den.
“Wen I get di opportunity to walk again, I take di decision say I go make di best of am. Fast forward to today, and I definitely tink say I make di most out of di situation – I tink say na sweet transaction.”
Di sucess tori
Mahlangu climb up para-athletics’ ladder of success dey fast, as e don show early signs.
For 2015, e win di 200m and 400m T42 for di International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) Junior World Games.
One year later, e win four gold medals for di IWAS Under-23 World Games, wia dem crown am as di ‘Best Athlete’.
2016 na anoda year wia im perform for Rio wia e become di youngest South African to ever stand on top Olympic or Paralympic podium afta im 200m silver, wia e set African record for di games.
As e be like say Tokyo 2020 no go hold, di tin challenge Mahlangu mental strength again.
Sake of di revision of di classification system by di International Paralympic Committee mean say, di teenager go move go wia e only fit contest di 200m and di long jump.
Long jump no be sport wey e practice well well, but afta coach Cornelius agree to im request to train am for six weeks, di two of dem feel say dem fit do well.
Surprisingly, dem collect gold wen Mahlangu, wey bin dey bronze medal position ahead of im final jump, come fly 7.17m to claim gold.
“I need to take you go di beginning of di jump ,” e explain. “I just get some moment wit myself, I take everytin in and say ‘Dis na di last jump – and e must to hapun’.
“To jump a world record and to go to first place, I tink na di greatest jump wey I don ever see for long jump history,” na so e tok.
Four days later, e win di men 200m.
“Noting dey special pass wen I get di 200 medal and na two golds – na di highlight of my life be dat,” e tok.
As e return home to hero welcome for Johannesburg international airport afta Tokyo, destiny fit don forgive Mahlangu.
For as im dey enjoy di success, na so im community for Tweefontein dey protest against poor water supply.
Na sake of say dis kain resources wey no dey na im make im hometown no fit accept student wey dey on top wheelchair, meaning say Mahlangu get admission to go beta school for Pretoria.
Di move boost im development as both athlete and student and as e complete im school-leaving exams, di star Paralympian dey look beyond athletics for job in finance.
While such career fit lead to wealth wey pesin fit only imagine, im sporting career continue to dey carry am go different world – one wey dey priceless for di young man.
“Di freedom of movement na definitely something I like wen I dey on track,” e explain. “Athletics dey make me feel free.”
