After a 2016 accident left him paralysed, Katleho discovered wheelchair rugby and hand cycling before completing Ride Joburg’s gruelling 97km route.
Johannesburg, South Africa (11 September 2026) – Ride Joburg is edging closer, with less than three months to go until thousands of cyclists take over Johannesburg on 22 November. And stories like Katleho Moeketsi’s show just how much determination can be packed into a single ride.
In 2016, a road accident left Katleho paralysed. Nine years later, he crossed the Ride Joburg finish line after completing the gruelling 97km route on a hand cycle.
His journey to that finish line did not happen overnight. It began with learning how to adapt to a completely different way of life, followed by an unexpected discovery that sport could give him a new sense of purpose.
After months in hospital and rehabilitation, Katleho joined the Tuks Wheelchair Rugby Club in 2017. Being surrounded by people who understood what he was going through helped him see what was still possible.
“The way they lived their lives gave me hope.”
Wheelchair rugby soon became an important part of his life, and in 2018 he was named Most Valuable Player at a wheelchair rugby tournament in Johannesburg.
Then came hand cycling. In 2020, Katleho visited CE Mobility to try out a racing wheelchair. It was there that Ilse du Preez suggested he consider hand cycling. The idea stuck, and another important person soon entered the picture. It was paracyclist Pieter du Preez.
The partnership has continued for six years, with Katleho going on to compete at Gauteng and South African Championships and become a member of Cycling South Africa. Pieter also helped him with equipment and gear along the way.
“Pieter pushed me to places I never thought I could reach.”
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The achievement was impressive enough, but Katleho says the atmosphere around Ride Joburg made the experience even more memorable. The crowds, the support and the energy of thousands of cyclists turning Johannesburg’s roads into a celebration of cycling all stood out.
He also shared the ride with his brother, Mpho Moeketsi, making the finish even more special.
One of his favourite memories from Ride Joburg is perhaps the most Johannesburg answer imaginable. It wasn’t the finish line or even the medal, but it was riding on the M1.
Ride Joburg’s 97km route will once again take cyclists onto the M1 before finishing at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit this November.
For Katleho, the road ahead is about more than proving how far he can cycle. It’s about continuing to adapt and refusing to let the circumstances of his life decide what comes next.
“You must learn how to adapt and adjust.”
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