Mandilene Hoffman secures spot in Commonwealth Games team
With 15 days to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Eyewitness News caught up with para-athlete Mandilene Hoffman and her parents Nico van Harmelen and Madri van Harmelen about making the team.
Mandilene Hoffman set a new African record in the women’s U20 discus (F44) throw at the recent South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled National Championships. Picture: @SASAPD/Twitter
JOHANNESBURG – The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has announced an additional 61 athletes to the Team South Africa squad that will represent the country at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
With 15 days to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Eyewitness News caught up with para-athlete Mandilene Hoffman and her parents Nico van Harmelen and Madri van Harmelen about making the team.
The 18-year-old will be part of the South African team that will represent the country at the upcoming Commonwealth Games and dreams of participating in the Paralympics at some point in her career.
“At first I couldn’t believe it as it was one of my wishes when I was 13 years old to participate in the Commonwealth Games. I was absolutely overjoyed that one of my goals came true. It was unbelievable to hear my name being announced and to see my name on TV. My dream actually became a reality. I am very thankful that para-athletes can compete at the same Games as other athletes” said Hoffman.
The Commonwealth Games will take place from 28 July to 8 August.
“I was very elated that all Mandilené’s hard work had finally resulted in her being selected for an event as important as this,” said her father, Nico van Harmelen.
The entire South African team includes, for the first time, more women than men.
The team of 251, has increased in size from the 194 South Africans who travelled to Gold Coast four years ago.
“I was very proud of her as since 2017, the Commonwealth Games were one of her greatest wishes to participate in. I was ecstatic to be the mother of such a determined daughter for achieving her goals and never using her disability to not achieve anything in her life” said her mother, Madri van Harmelen.
The 18-year-old was born with EZH2 overgrowth syndrome. The condition results in permanent patella [kneecap] dislocation and instability resulting in no knee extension, as well as damage to the muscle and nerves in her right leg. She also has general muscle impairment in both legs.
“I had a more or less normal upbringing, unaware that my disability was actually a disability, and accepted it as part of my life. My knees dislocating and me falling often and me being taller than all my classmates and walking with more difficulty was not something I perceived as anything abnormal until later when we started consulting some specialists in my early teens. Most traumatic for me was when a knee specialist recommended an operation on my right knee to correct my displaced patella at age 8,” Mandilene explained.
The operation that the para-athlete refers to damaged her nerves, muscles, growth plate, and patella in her right leg. She has patella displacement in both legs, tilting of her hip to the right, and scoliosis of the spine.
Hoffman wears a back brace for 20 hours of the day, walks with the assistance of a walk-on flex on her right leg due to a drop foot and patella displacement. She also wears a permanent knee brace on her left knee to prevent chronic dislocation of her left patella. She has also had operations on both hands in 2015 to correct the camptodactyly - a rare condition where a finger — or fingers — is fixed in a bent position at the middle joint, and cannot fully straighten.
“I cannot wait to step into the circle and do what I do best. I also cannot wait to meet and befriend my fellow South African team mates from all sporting codes. I am also looking forward to again meet one of my heroes, Sarah Edmiston from Australia, whom I have last seen at the World Championships in 2019,” said Hoffman of the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
At the South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled (SASAPD) National Championships, the para-athlete set a new African record in the women’s U20 discus (F44) with a 31.66m throw.
Hoffman was introduced to disability sport in 2016 and has since made sure that she outdoes herself on the field.
“Johan Snyders and Fred Furstenburg introduced me to the disabled sports environment in 2016, and I am forever grateful to them for this,” she said.
The youngster, who won a gold medal at the 2019 World Junior Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland, took up shot put at a young age and has never looked back.
“Firstly, I would to say that no athlete is an island. I have a full village behind me to help me reach my goals. In my village there are firstly my coach of 9 years, Janita Eva, secondly Chrisna Oosthuizen, my bio-kineticist of 8 years, next Johan Snyders, my Orthotist of the last 6 years. Elmari Smit, my physiotherapist for the past 6 years. Without any of these individuals, I would not be where I am now. To them, and others that have supported me on this journey, I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart” said Hoffman.
For the first time in history, the Commonwealth Games incorporate both able-bodied and para-athletes at the same games.
“She must go and have fun, fully enjoy the experience and perform to the best of her abilities. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her” said her father.
South African Olympic Committee vice-president and hockey official Lwandile Simelane has been named as Chef de Mission for the team.
According to the organisers, 72 nations and territories will be represented at Birmingham 2022. Around 6,500 athletes and team officials will be in attendance.
Medals will be on offer across 19 sports and eight Para sports. There will be 283 medal events. With Birmingham 2022 expected to have unrestricted access for fans unlike the Tokyo Summer Olympics and the Beijing Winter Olympics, organisers are expecting a live audience of around 30,000 people in the Alexander Stadium for the Opening Ceremony besides a TV audience of around one billion.
“ I want Mandilené to always keep her goals in sight and to believe in her abilities and to enjoy every minute of this great honour to represent South Africa once again,” said her mother of the upcoming games.
The sports represented in the team are Para-athletics, beach volleyball, boxing, cricket, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, judo, lawn bowls, netball, Para lawn bowls, swimming, Para swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball, triathlon, Para triathlon, rugby sevens and weightlifting.