After losing his leg to cancer and overcoming a drug addiction, Xolani Luvuno has been inspiring the nation by completing gruelling marathons using crutches
Xolani Luvuno is inspiring South Africans once again, this time by doing the Voet van Afrika Marathon. Xolani is an amputee runner who inspired the nation by completing the Comrades Marathon earlier this year.
Xolani lost his leg after fighting bone marrow cancer. About 7 years after losing his leg to cancer, Xolani was living on the streets, addicted to Nyope. His running partner and coach, Hein Venter, took him off the streets, helped him get clean and introduced him to running.
He first came to the attention of South Africans when Yusuf Abramjee spotted him running the Wally Hayward Marathon in 2017. Armed with only his crutches and a determination to complete the Comrades, he inspired the country when he finished the race.
Since completing the Comrades, Xolani decided to take on the Voet van Afrika marathon. This year is the races 40th race and Xolani’s first. The race is a test of mental and physical endurance with a 42,2km route across farming areas, gravel road and a jeep track across the mountain. Xolani can be seen crossing a rough patch in the photo above taken by Anthony Rosser from Tony Ross Photography.
“The intention of Die Voet van Afrika Marathon is essentially to enable people to unleash their energies to determine their strengths over their own perceived limitations versus elements of nature.” – Voet van Afrika
The endurance is tested when an 8km stretch of the race sees the runner facing a 470m climb and ending off with a few limit testing hills but thankfully they are on the tarred road. Xolani did all this using his crutches. He completed the marathon in 6-hours, ticking yet another big race off his bucket list. You can follow his inspiring journey here.
In case you missed it, we got to sit down and chat with Xolani in July shortly after the Comrades. You can listen to his interview here.
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