Ability in Action: Benno’s Paralympic Goal

My name is Benno Schoeman. I’m a 19-year-old South African para-athlete competing in the T/F37 classification (right hemiplegia)—and I’m on a mission to make it to the 2028 Paralympic Games.

I was born with cerebral palsy after an in-utero stroke.  Doctors were fairly confident I wouldn’t walk, talk, or write. Thankfully, they weren’t sports selectors and God proved them wrong.  Through a lot of faith, determination, stubbornness and an excellent support system, I eventually found my way onto an athletics track.

Fast forward a few years, I’ve built a successful junior career, representing Gauteng Province at the South African National Championships from 2021 to 2025. Along the way, I collected fourteen podium finishes across events including the 100m, long jump, discus, shot put, and javelin—which is a polite way of saying I really enjoy throwing, jumping and running in straight lines (well…. almost straight).

The 2025 season, my final...