MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Gregor Fouché (9) of Park Primary School has big dreams and has been working hard to achieve them.
He proved this when he was the only amputee to compete in the Southern African Christian Schools Sport Association (SACSSA) athletics invitational meeting in Mossel Bay on 31 August. The meeting was held at the Van Riebeeck Stadium.
Gregor, who runs with a prosthetic leg, competed in the U9 60 metre race, clocking 12.73 seconds, and the U9 80 metre race, which he completed in 16.72 seconds.
Gregor's mother, Suanda Fouché, said her son was born with amniotic band syndrome. This is when the fibres from the amniotic sac become entangled around the developing foetus. This affected his right leg and right hand.
Suanda said his right foot, below the ankle, did not develop because of this and Gregor walks and runs with a prosthetic leg to support the entire limb. She said the SACSSA athletics invitational was his first major competition.
Gregor told Mossel Bay Advertiser that his dream was to compete at the Paralympics one day and that he had been watching a few of the events. The Paralympics 2024, held in Paris, started on 28 August and ended on 8 September.
"It made me feel happy to watch the different races on TV. I want to compete in the sprinting. I like short distance running more than long distances," he said.
He was happy with Saturday's competition as he beat his practice times in both races.
"I had fun. I also liked that my coach, Janine Snyders, was there during the races and after. "I like running. It is not about winning; it is about having fun," he said.
Although he had been running since he was young, he had only recently started training with Snyders. Suanda said Gregor enjoys swimming as well. Gregor said he plans to run in more races and to continue to improve on his times.
Suanda said the only thing really hampering him at this point was that the prosthetic leg had to be replaced every six months as he is a child and outgrows it quickly. She said the cost of the leg, and travelling to Gqeberha where his orthopaedic physician is based, is quite high.
Gregor said if he could give any advice to other child amputees, it would be: "Never back down and never give up."
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