Surfer with cerebral palsy is raising funds to get to USA for championship

Photo Credit: Cape Talk / Twitter

Noluthando Makalima is working hard to get to the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Adaptive Surfing Championship.

Khayelitsha, South Africa – Noluthando Makalima is hoping to become a world champion at the ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship and she has been selected to represent South Africa in the United States this December!!!

Noluthando started adaptive surfing in 2014 after her friend introduced her to the sport. She joined the Siyaphakama Development for the Disabled Association in Khayelitsha. After years of loving the sport, Noluthando won her first medal at the age of 29-years-old, a gold at the women’s division tournament in Durban.

Noluthando was born with cerebral palsy, which affects her movement and speech. While she may have a disability, she has bigger dreams and is doing everything to make them come true!

Now, Noluthando and her fellow teammates are working hard to raise money to get to the ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships in America. They need R30,000.00 each to cover their travel expenses. The team are collectively raising funds via BackaBuddy and needs a total of R500,000.00 to get everyone there.

You can support Noluthando and the rest of the team here.

Pippa Hudson from CapeTalk interviewed Noluthando to find out more about her dream and how she hopes to fulfil it.

“I was born with cerebral palsy. It affects my speech and movement. It’s an obstacle sometimes if I want to talk to someone.

It means a lot to me. It’s a very big achievement. I would like to achieve and do more. I want to be an ambassador for South Africa.”

Noluthando’s dream can become a reality if we all help her. The team manager, Julia Van Zyl, hopes the fund will be fully supported as it means the entire team will be covered.

“The amount raised will help us to cover visa fees, flights and accommodation for all team members. Thank you for backing Team South Africa and for supporting the growth of disability sport in South Africa”