CARRYING A HEAVY LOAD: Nonny Yonke desperately needs cash to compete in Portugal
Delft para-athlete Nonny Yonke is appealing to mense for funds to help her travel to Portugal for an international competition in November.
The 21-year-old Leiden resident was born with spinal bifida, and had her right leg amputated at six months old.
But, that hasn’t stopped her from chasing her dreams. Nonny started competing in 2017, before her left leg was amputated in 2019.
“I got into sport as a way to better my circumstances and since then I have really been enjoying myself,” she said.
“I compete in seated discus, shotput and javelin, while so far my biggest achievement was qualifying for the Commonwealth Games this year. But I could not go because of funding.
“For the trip to Portugal, I need R68 000 and so far I have only raised R3 500 through my own fundraising,” the double amputee added.
Nonny also requires a special wheelchair that is built to allow her to perform the javelin, discus and shotput.
“We cannot do the sports on a normal wheelchair, so we need a special chair that not only supports the weight but also allows for the movement we need,” she says.
“Most of the funds we will need is for travelling and accommodation, while of course we require specific equipment to compete.”
Nonny competes for Maties in Stellenbosch and the trip to Europe will give her an opportunity to compete on an international level for the first time.
“As I stated before, I did not have the funds to travel before so I am really hoping that I am able to travel to Portugal,” she says.
“Through sport, I have gained so much self-confidence and positivity about everything in my life.
“I hope I can continue to thrive so I can be an inspiration not only for myself, but for others.”
junior.bester@inl.co.za
Related Topics: