Hanging out with Mpumelelo Mhlongo

Mpumelelo Mhlongo is a 30-year-old record-holding sprinter and long-jump Paralympics champion who competes for more than just gold. 

The place that made me

I grew up in a smaller township next to Chatsworth in KwaZulu-Natal. A large part of that township had the African mentality that it takes a village to raise a child — that everyone contributes to that child’s success, whether it is the talent they cultivate or ensuring that they have the best opportunities to be successful. That has been a major influence in my upbringing and is what I am trying to do in the sporting world.

Preparing for the Paralympics

Our process leading up to Paris is different to when we went to Brazil in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021, as well as all the world championships in between, because we have learnt a lot. The daily procedure is thinking how we can make every day count more towards the community that we serve, instead of thinking how we need to be in world-record shape for Paris or get a gold medal.

A big part of our journey is making small contributions to the community that have led us to this international stage. That means letting a lot more people join our training sessions, giving a lot more advice, and sharing secrets from our coaches so that we can have a lot more people becoming better at their craft, which pushes us to perform at a level we are not expecting.

You are only winning if everyone else wins

In Kobe, Japan, many of our competitors asked what our secret was and the answer is that we put our heads down and work hard, especially when nobody’s looking. We helped them analyse their races and gave them suggestions on how to improve.

My coach also often has training sessions with my competitors and asks them if they have applied certain methods because when you have a sporting community that is thriving and performing at their best possible level, that is when you want to be winning.

Lessons learnt

Sport does not exist without community — Covid-19 taught us that lesson. We are entertainers, whether we like it or not. It’s a craft on which we are continuously working. At times there are difficulties that you have to overcome. All of that is surrounded by giving society hope. Society comes first and sports second, that’s one of our biggest lessons.

Never undersell yourself. A lot of us believe we have a ceiling in terms of our potential and if we can just get to that potential we are successful but, in reality, your potential is only limited by your imagination.

It is a matter of daily discipline to become better, whatever that better is. It is something you are forever seeking and hopefully never reach. You can have the most talented and smartest fish, but if that fish is stuck in a poisoned fishpond it will die. It is important to find the right spaces and atmosphere that will hone your talent and dedication.

Handling the spotlight

It is not about not letting the attention faze you. It is not about it not getting to your head. No matter how humble you might be, fame is a weird form of attention that will get to you because most of us do not get used to it. You also see someone else in a similar position getting more attention than you, which leads you to start doubting yourself.

When it does happen, it’s about giving yourself perspective over your journey. Your journey is not about public attention. Your journey is about you really loving this sport, your passions, and wanting to push your body to the next level.

Advice to young athletes

The thief of joy is comparison — don’t compare yourself to anyone. You are who you are because you have a unique story to tell. Your narrative matters and your story comes along with a lot of people who have really supported you. If you can hold on to that it should not be lonely at the top, nor should it be at the seed bottom.