NOEMDO Kerwin

Classification
T47, F46 (IPC, 11 Mar 2021)

Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency (sun.ac.za, 20 Jun 2017)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (sun.ac.za, 20 Jun 2017)

Impairment Details
He was born with a malformation to his right hand after the umbilical cord in his mother's womb twisted around his right wrist. The hand was amputated at age two months. "When I was in my mother's stomach, her umbilical cord went around my right wrist, but because I was lying with my right arm behind my back the doctors did not see anything wrong. I was born with an under-developed right hand. About five months after birth the doctor said the hand was just going to be a nuisance for me, and it would be better to amputate it." (sun.ac.za, 20 Jun 2017; rugby15.co.za, 25 Aug 2012)

General
DELAYED STUDIES
In early 2020 he postponed his studies to focus on the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. "The COVID-19 pandemic affected my initial year plans quite drastically because I decided early in the year that I was going to focus just on athletics and do it full-time to compete in Tokyo. Coming from a background where we were not that well off, to give up my studies to focus on athletics was quite tough for [my parents]. It was tough to hear that the games are going to be postponed for one year because I put everything on hold to focus on it. I understand the reasoning behind it. I have a saying - same fate, different date. Although it's Tokyo 2021 and not Tokyo 2020, I still believe that I can have the same outcome, it's just a different date." As a result of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on his training, he enrolled onto an online diploma course in environmental quality assessment and monitoring. (matiemedia.org, 08 Sep 2020)

RETIREMENT THOUGHTS
He considered giving up his sport after his preferred throwing events of discus and shot put were not included in his category at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. "In Para sport, you have different classes [and] my class never had discus or shot put in the 2016 games, so I had no chance to go. In South Africa, Para sport isn't as big as it should be, so I was thinking to myself, 'Why don't I just stop athletics, wrap my degree up and go work?' But if your why is bigger than your what, you'll always find a way to get through." (matiemedia.org, 08 Sep 2020)

FURTHER EDUCATION
He has studied for a master's degree at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. He hopes to go into coaching and wildlife management after his sporting career is over, having already completed an Athletics South Africa Level 2 coaching course. In 2020 he began studying online for a diploma in environmental quality assessment and monitoring. (Instagram profile, 03 Oct 2019; iol.co.za, 08 Dec 2017; Long Shot Throws, 15 Aug 2020; matiemedia.org, 08 Sep 2020)