Team Seeks Support to Reach SA Para Surf Champs

Photo Credit: Roxy Davis Foundation

A group of determined para surfers are hoping to make it to Durban this April, and a little support could help them ride their way to the national stage.

Durban, South Africa (10 March 2026) – For these athletes, surfing is more than just a sport. It’s freedom, confidence, and the chance to chase big dreams in the open ocean.

The Roxy Davis Foundation is calling on the public to help send a team of para surfers to the South African Para Surfing Championships in Durban on 18 April 2026.

Among the athletes hoping to make the trip is Nokuthula “Nonny” Yonke, who is already making waves beyond the surf. Nonny, the 1st Princess of Miss Wheelchair South Africa 2021 and Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability (2022) for wheelchair basketball and para-athletics, has long dreamed of surfing.

Alongside Nonny is a team of remarkable athletes, all hoping to make their mark at the championships.

Defending national champion Raemondo, a quadruple amputee who took up surfing in 2021, has become a powerful figure in the para-surfing community. Fellow competitor Noluthando, a single mother from Khayelitsha living with cerebral palsy, stunned the competition by winning the 2024 national title in Cape Town.

Then there’s Emihle, who narrowly missed national team selection in 2023 and is now training harder than ever to secure his place. Thando, a recent matriculant and lower-limb amputee, discovered surfing in 2021 and says it has transformed his life both in and out of the water.

Athletes like Nasr, who lives with osteogenesis imperfecta (a condition that causes brittle bones) continue to show that limits are meant to be pushed. A South African table tennis champion, Nasr has now taken his competitive spirit into the surf.

And for Diego, a Grade 12 learner competing in the prone unassist division after a spinal cord injury, the ocean has become a place of joy.

The goal is to take 10 athletes and six coaches and chaperones to Durban. Flights cost about R4,500 per person, meaning the foundation needs to raise R72,000 to get the full team to the start line.

“These athletes train year-round. They show up, commit, and push beyond physical, cognitive and social barriers. The only thing standing between them and the start line is airfare,” the Roxy Davis Foundation explains.

Anyone who would like to support the team can donate through the crowdfunding link here. You can also get in touch directly to help fund a seat [email protected].