Para-athlete Alwyn Uys cycles for charity at Super Hero Sunday

Para-athlete and former rugby player Alwyn Uys cycled for charity on the side of the field at this weekend’s Marvel Super Hero Sunday rugby extravaganza.

The Super Hero double header took place at the FNB stadium in Soweto.

Rugby fans flocked in their numbers to the stadium to watch their favourites in action.

In the opener, the Stormers, dressed in their Thor kit, beat the Cell C Sharks who were donning Black Panther jerseys, 21-19.

It was followed by a match between the Emirates Lions, dressed in Spider-Man outfits and the Vodacom Bulls wearing Captain America kit, which the Bulls won 40-35. 

While fans were entertained by the clashes, Uys and celebrities and sport stars cycled on the side of the field to raise money for the Childhood Cancer Foundation (CHOC).

In 2019, Uys became the first paraplegic to finish Ironman.

“I know there are big challenges out there and I love pushing my mind to the next level. Our minds can push us further than we think possible. We’ll never know where our limits truly are,” he said in a statement.

Uys played rugby for the Sharks and Maties before a disastrous car accident in 2014 ended his career.

He was 24 years old at the time of his accident.

“It was first a process of dealing with that paralysis and working through the barriers of what the world now tells you that you can and can’t do any more because you’re in a wheelchair.

“Make no mistake, it was very difficult and one hell of a process. But I had my faith and the hope that everything happens for a reason.”

“The dream from when I was a boy was always to play for the Springboks, and then something happens that changes your dream. I’m still involved in sport, just in a different way. The goalposts may have shifted, but the goal remains the same,” he said.  

After Super Hero Sunday, Uys will compete in a half Ironman, a national triathlon championship followed by the full Ironman in March, the African Cup triathlon championships in Egypt in April, another half Ironman in June, swim from Robben Island to Blouberg and do the Comrades Marathon.

“When you’re in a wheelchair the world puts limitations on you, such as that it’s impossible to do an Ironman with just your arms. I wasn’t willing to accept that status quo.

“When I was playing rugby I always wanted to do an Ironman but I was a bit scared of it. But being in a wheelchair, I felt I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. That fear of failure was gone, and it was very liberating. I was already at rock bottom and could only go up.

“I kept looking back at my old life. The breakthrough came to me when I could let go of that life. That life is gone and it’s never going to come back. Even if I start walking tomorrow, I’ll never be the same person again. The best decision you can make is to just let go, and realise that you’re doing something new now. You have new dreams and new goals. You are a new person,” he said.