Life Is Not About Ability But Mentality For LEbohang MoNyatsi By John Nchoe

Life is a challenge and is full of uncertainty, especially when living with disability. Many find it very difficulty and hard to deal and accepting disability, hence community stigma make harder. However, for a physically challenged Lebohang Monyatsi,a final year psychology student at NWU Mafikeng has proven that it is not about your ability but your mentality.

Lebohang is a dedicated basketball player from Vryburg and has spent most of her life in boarding school from Galukspan. Like everyone, she also has dreams and goals. Beside completing her degree in record time one of her dream become reality when she was selected for South Africa‘s wheel chair basketball team.
The team recently returned from Mexico where the South Africans played in a qualification tournament in Guadalajara. Although the South African team did not qualify for the London 2012 Paralympics games, the talented Lebohang was named best shooter of her team. She now plays for both provincial and national wheelchair Basketball teams. Her passion and drive for the game has taken her around and abroad south Africa, America and Mexico.”I don’t see my self not playing basketball, love it.

Lebo ‘s story  is not an overnight success and her journey has not been easy. She was raised by her single unemployed grandmother and with the help from the government’s grants.At age of three she was diagnosed with Polio Mailaitis. She was delayed to start school in time like any other child as results of polio.Then at age of she lost her mom. As if she didn’t go through enough pain , during her  teen  years she lost her best friend –high school teacher mrs Setshedi.

She attributes her success in basketball to the family and friends, especially her source of inspiration her grandmother. Lebo also sings praises to her manager-‘matumelo’ Rauter, GBT mongoose and Phemelo Kgopiso. Furthermore she hailed the North-west university Mafikeng campus for giving her a wheelchair and basketball to enable her to practice during her leisure time.

Her massage when asked to give advise to the parents with disable children, she said parents should never force to take their kids to mainstream school simple because the teachers and the environment is not suitable for the kids survival. There are special school, where teachers are equipped,trained and the environment is conducive for disable person. Parents  should also not keep their kids  house prison by hiding them, they limit their ability by doing so, they should give them sense of freedom and life, Its not their choice to be disable they also want to experience childhood life.I’m grateful that I wasn’t prisoner  I was given a normal life and eventually people in my community got used to me.

Written By John Nchoe