Kelvin van Baalen spent 413 days in ICU, was resuscitated 9 times, had 27 surgeries and faced injuries that should have ended everything he had planned for his future. Instead, he found a way to rebuild, reframe and keep moving forward, one step (and one laugh) at a time.
Johannesburg, South Africa (26 February 2026) – The human spirit is a powerful thing, especially when it refuses to be defined by a single moment, no matter how devastating that moment may have been.
On this week’s ‘Good Things with Brent Lindeque‘, we sit down with Kelvin van Baalen, an incredible South African who is a flipping inspirational human.
Kelvin survived a tragic paragliding accident that left him fighting for his life, spending 413 days in ICU, being resuscitated 9 times along the way, having 27 surgeries and facing a medical aid bill that climbed to a staggering R21 million. Against all odds, he didn’t just survive, he rebuilt his life, found joy again, and now shares his journey with humour, honesty and a deep appreciation for simply being here. He was just 21 years old.
As specialist nurse Katinka Rheeder explained at the time, “When Kelvin arrived here he had sustained severe burns to approximately two-thirds of his body surface… local trauma statistics indicated a mere 30% predicted survival rate for burn injuries of this extent and severity.”
What stands out most when chatting to Kelvin now is not the scale of what he endured, but the way he speaks about moving forward. Even after coming home, the hard work continued, one lap of the house at a time, slowly building strength and confidence again.
“I had to push myself to walk around our house, adding more laps each day. Well, it was worth it, I can now walk around the entire golf course,” he says, with a grin you can hear through the mic.
Kelvin also speaks openly about embracing his body and refusing to let scars dictate how he shows up in the world.
“I do not allow my burns to hold me back from living life to the fullest. I play golf in shorts because I want to feel comfortable and play well. You can’t change what happened, but you can embrace what you have achieved. It’s all part of your story,” he shares, offering words that will resonate far beyond burn survivors alone.
Today, Kel is back on the golf course regularly, playing to a two handicap, competing in disabled tournaments, and joking that some of the top players are starting to get nervous. More than that, he is living proof that life after trauma can still be full, meaningful and joyful, especially when you choose to show up with humour and heart.
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