Mhlengi Gwala

Mhlengi Gwala (born 12 April 1991[1]) is an international elite[1] triathlete[2] from South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. He was born in Durban, but considers his home town to be Chesterville.[1]

Career

Gwala has competed at international events since 2015:[2]

Attack and injury

On 6 March 2018, Gwala was attacked on his pushbike by three men during a training ride before sunrise around Durban. The men pulled him from the bike and cut the calf of his right leg with a saw, damaging his muscles, nerves, and bone, then attacked his left leg. The attack continued even though he offered the attackers his wallet, mobile phone, and bike. The men departed and Gwala crawled to the road where he flagged down a car and was taken to a local hospital. Gwala said that the men spoke in a language he did not understand. Doctors were confident that his legs could be saved.[3]

Within days, a crowdfunding effort had begun, with a goal of Rand 100,000 (about US$8,400) to “Get Mhlengi back on his bike”, by supporting his medical expenses‚ transportation‚ bike replacement and rehabilitation costs.[4]

References
  1. Mhlengi Gwala, Elite Athlete Development (South Africa), accessed 2018-03-08
  2. Mhlengi Gwala, triathlon.org, accessed 2018-03-08
  3. South African triathlete Mhlengi Gwala's legs attacked with blunt saw while cycling in Durban, AP/ABC News Online, 2018-03-08
  4. Crowdfunding to help handsaw attack victim, Mhlengi Gwala, The Sunday Times (South Africa), 2018-03-07
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