By Tshikororo Nyandano
“Start seeing a disability as a unique gift from God”.
Ronewa Mudzanani is a 25-year-old wheelchair tennis player born and raised in a hill of Limpopo; Vhurivhuri. Ronewa was raised by his mom and grandmother.
he was born with a disability named Cerebral palsy (Idiopathic scoliosis). “The doctors didn’t notice that I have a disability when I was born, my mom noticed that I couldn’t stand nor walk at my very young age, then the doctors noted my spinal condition”, he said.
It somehow made Mudzanani’s upbringing perplexing, facing health challenges as well as travelling from doctors to doctors constantly while struggling financially.
“My mom enrolled me in a special school at the age of 6, at first I thought she sent me away because she didn’t love me, but in due course I understood why she had to do it. I also got a chance to attend an ‘able-bodied’ high school where I completed my
Matric in 2016, and went to Tshwane South College In 2017 where I enrolled in mechanical engineering”.
In 2017, the doctors couldn’t do anything to improve his spine and helping him with the pain he was experiencing, so he had deal with it for the rest of his life.
The athlete started his Training force journey in 2018, and enrolled for a learnership in Business Practice (BP). “This was a great opportunity for me to study and also help with a stipend which I could use to support myself and my family back home”, he said. He then got a Job at the Training Force in Johannesburg as a contact centre agent.
“One day I got a chance to sit down with Angela who was my manager and tell her about my life and that I play wheelchair tennis, I then entered tournaments with her support on my side”.
The tennis player managed to be a part of the South African quads’ wheelchair tennis team that secured a bronze medal at the ‘2021 BNP Paribas World Team Cup’ in Alghero, Sardinia.
Ronewa was representing South Africa in the ‘2021 BNP Paribas World Team Cup’ in Italy and won a bronze medal.
“I don’t look at my disability as hindrance. Since I was young my dream was to become the voice of people with disability. Wheelchair tennis is not just a sport to me, it’s how I communicate with people to show them my ability”.
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