Sphelele Dlamini was born in 1996 with a condition that made it necessary to surgically amputate his legs from below the knee shortly after birth.
Growing up with his brother, sister, mother and her family in the township of Kwamashu near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, he vaguely remembers when he first started walking with a walking frame and his first set of prosthetics. He grew up in a very toxic and violent environment.
“Here l had limited access to equipment and opportunities. For most of my young life, l was teased and called names due to my disability and also, being limited in so many things. Sometimes people will test you with simple things and ask you simple things like how to spell your name or count just to prove and see if you are capable. Most will be jungle basic on the disability. Doors being shut. Lost opportunities due to conditions. But l have learnt one thing: Disability is not a problem – it’s how it’s defined. “Growing up in a township with my mother’s family has made me a stronger and better person because l was never treated like a person who was disabled. l was treated like a normal person and everyone was equal. That helped me a lot to not feel sorry or bad for myself but also not to think about it too much. It has been a blessing to grow up under such a great family, which has a bit of an understanding of the condition, especially myself. From a young age l knew and understood about the disability, which made life a bit easier because they didn’t have to be stressed about anything. Especially being a parent of a differently abled human being is not easy because there is limited access to equipment and a higher cost of living.
“My parents played a huge role in my life. Growing up l wanted to be a medical orthotics prosthetic doctor because that’s what l loved as a kid. But along the way sport came into my life during my primary school days, which has opened a lot of doors and opportunities. l got to travel to some places through sport, and l played several competitions for KZN and won medals. l met Jumping Kids, and they opened a lot of opportunities and supported me. The support l have been receiving from them since 2012 is massive; they have been behind my back. And getting an opportunity to use the high-quality prosthetic legs.”
Right now Sphelele is a Jumping Kids’ role model. Össur once-off components ambassador, professional wheelchair basketball player in France.
“When I met the team from the Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund, I had already been using government-issue prosthetic legs for some years. The opportunity to have my prostheses custom-manufactured, as part of the Jumping Kids Open Air School Project, made a huge difference. It became easier to get around and that boosted my confidence,” says Sphelele. He adds that it was through this project that he met some of his favourite role models.
“I have quite a few role models. For me, they are the people with whom I have accomplished great things, people I greatly admire, such as Tyrone Pillay, Ntando Mahlangu, Michael Stevens and Black Coffee.
I am focused on being a good role model myself. I hope that in the future I can do my part to make sure more differently abled kids get the opportunities I had or to encourage more female athletes to take up paralympic sport,” he says.
About the sport
Sphelele was introduced to wheelchair basketball in primary school. He fell in love with the game and has been playing ever since.
In 2016, he had an opportunity to play wheelchair basketball professionally abroad.
At the time, Sphelele could not afford the flights, visa and travel insurance necessary to take the contract. In 2022, when the opportunity to play internationally presented itself again, Michael Stevens from the Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund decided to help make it happen.
“Gravelines had given me an offer to play for them. I had to handle the visa application, flight bookings and travel insurance myself. That’s when Mike got involved. He made and paid for all the necessary arrangements on my behalf to make sure I could get to France!
I knew I had to go for it. It is not easy for a South African wheelchair basketball player to get noticed and be offered this kind of opportunity. In South Africa, we do not often get the chance to play on an international level.
“I knew that, if everything went well and I got the opportunity to play in France, I would gain valuable exposure and if I did well, it would give me a better chance to get noticed for more opportunities to play professional wheelchair basketball in Europe,” Sphelele explains. He received a warm welcome at Gravelines.
“I am impressed by the understanding the club shows for each player and the efforts made to make us feel cared for, comfortable and at home. France is a warm, welcoming country. People are always willing to help and there is a lot of support. It is very advanced.
“I would love the opportunity to play in a higher league in Germany, Spain or Italy. It is my goal to keep pushing to get recognised on the European wheelchair basketball circuit and to continue to play professionally. It is my further dream to play for South Africa one day.
“I have a lot of plans and ideas that I would like to see through in the future. Doing my part to help more differently abled kids to get access to assistive equipment and inclusive opportunities is one of them.
“For me, it is important to keep reminding the world that we are one big family under God.
We are all created by and belong to God, whether differently abled or normal. My focus is on loving myself and growing as an individual, to be the best possible version of myself and to pay it forward when the opportunity presents itself,” Sphelele concludes. “Now l have an opportunity to play further in an upper division that will move me closer into playing in the higher leagues and fully professional wheelchair basketball in Italy, Spain Germany. Funding assistance or sponsorship is always needed. There are many financial costs needed to stay active and healthy, sometimes depending on the teams. Countries like Italy, Germany and Spain are fully professional.
Lastly, I want to share my experience and also be able to help, in the way Jumping Kids has helped me with one of the hardest things: Limited access and opportunities and the higher cost of living that many of us can’t afford. I have had the privilege of being part of a charity that has supported me for years: Jumping Kids, including Össur, who recently supported me. Not all children have the same privilege as me. Life is hard enough as it is in South Africa. Many South Africans living with disabilities cannot reach their goals and potential because they do not have access to equipment. Jumping Kids’ support has had a huge impact on my life, not only on prosthetic leg support but also on my journey, allowing me to live my dream. In the last two years l got to travel to a number of countries: France, Dubai, Belgium, Qatar and the Netherlands, which has allowed me to build my profile on the European market and also to get a sense of what we can do to get more Africans or South Africans to play wheelchair basketball in Europe and understand the European markets.
Wheelchair basketball truly saved my life, it gave me a second chance and a purpose in life and the understanding that the challenges and struggles I had were part of the journey. My late mother and her paternal side of the family have played huge role. It is never easy to raise a child living with a disability, especially when you come from humble beginnings. In my basketball journey, a special credit goes to Siphamandla Gumbi, who truly believed in me. He pushed me to believe that there was something I could offer and gave me a chance when no one did. He was like a father figure, an elder. I thank Amelda Potgieter and Össur for their sponsorship and support.
In appreciation of the assistance offered me I am driven and guided to I pay it forward to other aspirant athletes.
The Wheelchair Basketball that that Sphelele and others like him participate in requires significant funding. Should you wish to participate in contributing in any way contact emails and informative social media links are below. Ed.
Email: spheleledlaminimax@icloud.com Email: michael@jumpingkids.org.za.
FB: Sphelele Maxwell Dlamini IG: Sphelele Dlamini FB and IG: Jumping Kids SA
