DLAMINI Nicholas

Type of rider
Climber (newframe.com, 18 Jan 2019)

General
INCIDENT
In December 2019 he was on a training ride in Table Mountain National Park in South Africa when he was stopped by four rangers asking to see a permit allowing him to be in the area. A ranger then grabbed him, twisting his arm and causing it to break, ruling him out of action for 10 weeks. The incident was captured on video and widely shared on social media, with criminal charges filed against the rangers. "It's been difficult because I had to try and get back in the game as soon as possible after obtaining injuries from the incident. Having the [2020 Olympic] Games postponed to 2021 was a blessing in disguise for me, it really helped." (702.co.za, 30 May 2021; cyclingnews.com, 01 Oct 2020)

ROLE MODEL
He was brought up in an impoverished area in Cape Town, South Africa, and is aware that he is a role model for other youngsters growing up in similar circumstances. "Having a person coming from the township, competing at the highest level of whatever sport they are doing, is an inspiration to the up-and-coming kids. It is really nice that they have the opportunities to have role models coming from townships, people they've basically seen growing up. That gives them hope that it actually is possible to get to that level if they work hard. I'm all in for development in South Africa and helping wherever I can to help development riders get to where I am. It doesn't put pressure on me." (newframe.com, 18 Jan 2019)