Al-Qalam 
By Nabeelah Shaikh
From tragedy to triumph, Yusuf Kadwa is proving that anything is possible with determination and passion. The Durban athlete recently participated in the All-Africa Paratriathlon Cup in Egypt, after fighting against all odds to get back into the athletic scene and fulfill his dreams.
In October 2021, Kadwa tragically suffered a serious hemorrhagic stroke, which led to paralysis of the left side of his body. Before the illness, he was a fit and able-bodied individual, who had been competing in triathlons for 20 years.
“It has been a very long and intensive rehab process for me. Before my stroke, I had been doing triathlons for two decades. I started out doing the short distance races then went on to doing the long-distance races called the Iron Man races. That includes a 4-kilometer swim, a 180-kilometer cycle and a run. I’ve done about 11 of those. I have also done eight Comrades Marathons, the Dusi Canoe Marathon, and a few long-distance mountain bike races too,” said Kadwa.
He said that he was ‘a little bit crazy’ when it came to endurance sports.
“The reason I do it is purely for the love and the adrenaline you get from it. I was the first non-white person in South Africa to make the South African team and I went to the World Championships in the year 2000. It has been a pretty chaotic ride since then,” said Kadwa.
He said from an early age, he swam with the Pisces Swimming Academy and that’s where his swimming and lifesaving skills kicked off.
“With regards to the triathlon side of things, in 2011, I won the All-Africa Triathlon Championships in the 35-40 age groups. I was the first person of colour to ever win a continental championship title,” said Kadwa.
Kadwa said that was one of the things that has been a big motivating force for him to get back into triathlons as a para-athlete.
“From the research I’ve done so far, there hasn’t been anyone who has won a continental championship as an able-bodied person and as a para-athlete and that’s my dream and short-term goal. I want to be able to achieve that and show people that yes if life strikes you down, you can still get up and fight and come back,” said Kadwa.
Kadwa’s dream is to also finish the Comrades Marathon again, but this time, as a para-athlete.
He previously ran the comrade’s marathon on several occasions when he was an able-bodied person and is now determined to achieve his goal of participating as a para-athlete.
He says he knows that it won’t be an easy task, but it’s something he is willing to work towards, with the assistance of others, who are on board to see him fulfill this dream.
“I have been doing research on how I can finish the marathon as a para-athlete, and I would like to attend the Comrades next year and achieve that. I would like to do the Comrades with my sister, who has the running bug at the moment. Doing it may be difficult and I’ll need some assistance to be pushed up some steeper parts, so I’ve approached my sister and my neurosurgeon to assist me with the marathon,” said Kadwa.
The ultimate goal for Kadwa is to be able to participate in the Paralympics someday and this is something he is actively working towards.
“I want to qualify for the Paris triathlon race which will be held next year in August as part of the Olympics. In order to achieve that, I have to race in the international para-triathlon circuit and as I do more and more of the races and my positions come to the finishing line, I gain more points. And the more points I gain, that will hopefully allow me to be on the start line for the Paralympics next year,” said Kadwa.
Kadwa says his journey thus far is an indication that no matter what the circumstances, one should never give up. From being healthy and active, to suffering a stroke, he is defying all odds to fulfill his dreams again.
