It's a golden day for double amputee Ntando Mahlangu

04 April 2016 - 02:18 By David Isaacson

Ntando Mahlangu took his first nervous steps on prosthetic legs less than four years ago, and this past weekend the double amputee won two medals in his age group at the able-bodied national athletics championships. Competing in the under-16 category Mahlangu, 14, clocked a blistering 50.08sec in the 400m, an unofficial disabled world record.It doesn't count, however, because it wasn't achieved at a disabled competition, but that doesn't matter because he already owns the official world mark of 53.19, which he set at the SA disabled championships in Bloemfontein, where he won four gold medals.Mahlangu, who also picked up gold in the medley relay with his able-bodied Gauteng North teammates at Germiston on Saturday, was born with a condition where the bones in his lower legs failed to form as they should have.He spent his early years in a wheelchair dreaming of taking part in sports.His case was picked up by the Jumping Kids Prosthetics Fund charity and he underwent a double amputation through both knees at the age of 10.He was fitted with false legs in September 2012."The first time I got my legs I vomited because I was so scared," he admitted.Mahlangu received normal walking legs as well as blades, which are supposed to be used only for running, but he spends most of his time in the blades."I like running - which in those knee legs you can't do," said the Grade 7 pupil at Constantia Park junior school in Pretoria East...

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