From SPCA inspector to figure skating champion: Shiven Fordosing is on a remarkable journey

Meet Shiven Fordosing, South Africa’s highest technical scoring adult figure skater. (He's also an SPCA inspector and candidate attorney.)

Fordosing is juggling two careers while pursuing a passion that has taken him to competitive heights. The South African SPCA inspector and candidate attorney discovered figure skating during the pandemic, and in an astonishing turn of events, has risen to become South Africa's highest technical scoring adult figure skater.

When asked how he manages to fit everything into his busy schedule, Shiven candidly admits, "The easiest answer is to say that I don't. I think my passion is largely fueled by delusion. But I'm living for it." This refreshing honesty highlights the determination required to pursue dreams that might seem impossible to others.

Shiven's journey exemplifies the adage that it's never too late to discover a new passion. What began as a casual attempt at figure skating quickly evolved into a serious athletic pursuit. Now, he has his sights set on representing South Africa at the 2026 Adult Figure Skating Championships, an impressive goal for someone who only recently took up the sport.

However, the path to international competition comes with significant challenges. "Being an adult athlete in South Africa, especially in this type of sport, is very challenging if you're self-funded," Shiven explains. "It's not a well-known sport. [South Africa] only has one ice rink that we can train at, which is, thankfully, Olympic quality. And the biggest hurdle for us is actually costs of access to the competition; the visa, the flights, the accommodation, the training – all of that has to be funded from your own pocket if you're an adult skater."

To overcome these financial obstacles, Shiven has launched a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign called 'Pursuit of a Dream'. Supporters can find the campaign directly on BackaBuddy or through his Instagram page @fitspinciner, where they can contribute to helping this determined athlete reach the world stage.

What makes Shiven's story even more impressive is his current achievement of six gold medals – a detail he modestly omitted during the interview below.

His success reinforces the powerful message that dreams an be pursued at any stage of life.

Listen below to discover more about Shiven's inspiring journey and other uplifting stories: