Not that he ever would, but Ntando Mahlangu can claim he had achieved more in 19 years than most people would in a lifetime.

When only 14, he won a silver medal in the men’s 200m at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. In 2017, he won a silver medal in the men’s 200m at the World Championships. Two years later, he was a world champion. This year, he set a world record. 

And he has just started. It is a given that Mahlangu will get faster and better and that countless records will tumble over the next 10 or so years. If nothing unforeseen happens, the Tuks-based athlete will win gold during the 200m T61 at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. 

Mahlangu is, however, not one to fall into the trap of getting distracted about what could happen. His focus is always on the now. That is why only one thing matters. It is to be competitive on Saturday when he competes in the long jump.

During the 2016 Paralympic Games, he finished fourth. He was, however, forced to take a sabbatical because of the impact long jumping had on his lower back. As a result, he has only been jumping for the last seven weeks again. 

Mahlangu has got a personal best distance of 6.90 metres. It compares favourably to what the worlds best are jumping. 

"I don't like making predictions. The aim is to enjoy what I do. It would be nice to get some of the athletes riled up with one or two of my jumps. At every Olympic Games, there is that one athlete that causes a major upset. Maybe it is going to be me.

"As far as the 200 metres is concerned, I think I got a real chance to win. Breaking the world record, running 22.98s in Gqeberha this season was a confidence booster. A week later, at Tuks, I ran 22.88s which would have been another world record had I not stepped outside my lane."

According to Mahlangu, he gets absolute joy from running.

"I often get asked if I hear the people cheering me on. The answer is no. When I run, it is just me. Nothing else matters. It is as if I am all alone for that few seconds. It is a fantastic feeling. That is why I run."

Jokingly he added that he knows he had run a good race when his blades “flash" past his ears.

Mahlangu's performances are truly inspiring, considering that for the first ten years of his life, he was in a wheelchair owing to a condition called Hemimolia. In layman's terms, it meant that from birth, his legs hadn't fully developed below his knees. 

His life changed in 2012 when Jumping Kids, a charity that helps children with disabilities in South Africa, offered to assist him with prosthetics to walk. 

"When I got this opportunity, I decided I got to make the most of it."

When asked about role models, Mahlangu said it is the senior athletes of the 2016 Paralympic team. 

"I was only 14 and did not know anything. Guys like Charl du Toit, Mpumelelo Mhlongo and Arnu Fourie took me under their wings and guided me. I will be forever grateful for what they did. The time will come when I will be the senior athlete and hopefully a role model." 

The Tuks based athlete emphasised that he is also grateful for family members and friends who always encouraged him to believe in his abilities. 

"I don't think people realise what it means when you got a disability, and you are being told 'don't worry, you can do it, you just got to believe it. These few words can change a life."