Cape Town - Cape Town’s Paralympian Kerwin Noemdo missed a medal at the last Olympics by just 25cm, but this time the shot-putter feels the podium is well within his grasp.
Noemdo will compete at the 2024 Paralympics in the F46 category for shot-put, after he already qualified for the event. He finished in fourth place in Tokyo in 2021, with a heave of 15.65m. This distance earned him the African shot put record in the F46 category.
For Paris 2024, Noemdo feels he needs to throw at least 16m to win a medal. At the national champs, earlier this year in April, Noemdo won gold with a 16.07m heave.
In the recent social media #Wontquitcrew feature by Ryobi, Noemdo attracted great interest and this popularity has fired him up for Paris.
“Qualifying for the Paralympics was quite tough, but I knew that if I broke 16m there was a 99% chance that I’ll be in the (SA) team,” said Noemdo. “I did that in the national champs this year in April, when I threw 16.07m.
“We’ll (my team and I) go full tilt from now until World Champs in July and hopefully try to attend a competition abroad or training camp beforehand in June.
“After World Champs, we will take a two to three-week break until August. From August, we will build up to National Champs 2024, which is normally around March or April.
“The second World Champs is in May next year, and in June I plan to train at home.
“Next July we do a competition overseas and a training camp. All of these are dependent on funding, and by then I will be ready to compete at the Paralympics 2024.”
Noemdo has already scanned the landscape by keeping tabs on results around the world, and has identified Russian Nikita Prokhorov, American Joshua Cinnamo and India’s Khilari Sachin Sarjerao as tough opponents to beat.
“I’m looking forward to measuring myself with the best in the world again. I believe I belong on the top stage. I believe I deserve to be there and can fight for the top spot. We’ll meet first at World Champs.”
Financial constraints have meant Noemdo does not have all the bells and whistles when it comes to assembling a sound allround coaching staff. He is grateful for being part of Ryobi Africa’s #Wontquitcrew feature because it had helped to generate an income stream.
“For now, I only have a coach for my throwing. He is coach Daniel Damon, whom I see three times a week and is based in Stellenbosch,” said Noemdo, who has already acquired two degrees from the University of Stellenbosch.
“I no longer have a strength and conditioning gym coach. The programmes that I have been using in the gym are previous programmes used by myself and a former S&C coach.
“Financially it gets tough as time goes on. The biggest struggle for me now is the costly medical services. Yet these are essential to perform as your body takes a lot of strain in this sport.
“As an individual, I need to partner with brands to expand my brand and secure additional revenue streams – which is why my partnership with Ryobi Africa is huge for me.
“I am now part of their #Wontquitcrew campaign and that gives exposure to athletes who have that never-say-die attitude and mentality.
“It’s an honour to be seen in this light, something I take very seriously, as I hope to inspire all those that I cross paths with, inside or outside of the competitions in which I compete.
“I train all morning and coach all afternoon, getting home around 6pm. I am not sure that people understand just how tough it is to coach.
“That’s why the medical side of things is so important. The physio and chiro are needed to ease your aching body and help it to perform at its optimum.”
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