- Amputee athlete Xolani Luvuno made the news for the first time in 2017 when he completed the 42.2km Wally Hayward marathon on crutches, showcasing the incredible power of the human spirit.
- From beggar to Comrades Marathon finisher, Luvuno's journey of determination, resilience, and redemption inspired many, making headlines time and again until his tragic death in September 2021.
- In Running Man: The Xolani Luvuno Story, News24 chronicles Luvuno's remarkable transformation, athletic feats, and the lives he touched along the way.
On the third anniversary of his death, amputee athlete Xolani Luvuno's mentor and "father" Hein Venter told News24 he was still in shock and denial.
"But I've also had many times that I could reflect on the incredible things that we shared."
Venter sees the five and a half years as one of his greatest privileges.
"They were five massive years."
The duo first made headlines in May 2017 when they completed the 42.2km Wally Hayward marathon.
Luvuno ran the race on crutches with his prosthetic leg, and while they only crossed the finishing line 7 hours and 3 minutes later, they were awarded gold medals for the effort.
Luvuno twice conquered the "Voet van Afrika" marathon and completed the gruelling Buffalo City half-Ironman triathlon.
Most notably, he did the unimaginable when he finished the 2018 Comrades Marathon on crutches in a monumental effort that took 15 hours, 49 minutes and 6 seconds.
Thanks to a special arrangement by the event organisers, Luvuno and Venter were allowed to start their race early.
So when an estimated 17 000 athletes lined up outside the Pietermaritzburg City Hall, they had already been on the route for five hours.
His participation wasn't seen as official, but at the time, Venter said they were "just grateful" to have had an opportunity to be on the route for the duration of the race.
READ | Mentor hails late, 'angelic' amputee-athlete Xolani Luvuno: 'He baked cakes with crumbs'
Luvuno, who grew up in rural Eastern Cape, was a drug addict, destitute, and living under a bridge in Pretoria when he first met Venter.
"26 April 2016, that date I can't forget; it's like my birthday date. It's where my life is changing," he told News24 in an interview in 2019.
Luvuno, who spent most of his life addicted to unhealthy substances, running from his problems or the law, suddenly found himself in the grips of a new addiction.
"I love my challenges. My challenges are not my enemies. [When I run] I feel like I'm just normal," he said.
And in just three short years since their first meeting, Venter told News24 that they had already come full circle in their relationship.
"His motivation, his discipline, his honesty, his passion, his gratitude has just been beautiful to experience. He's my source of inspiration.
"I consider myself blessed that the person I chose to help really took the opportunity, and he turned it into something special. It's a journey that created its own momentum."
Venter said Luvuno will be remembered as an incredible entertainer.
"He will also be remembered as a huge empath and a huge cheerleader to people.
"Xolani always had an appropriate and usually kind word for everybody."
He hopes that Luvuno's story will continue to inspire other people.
"It's a story that needs to be heard and that there are still so many people out there who can benefit from learning some of Xolani's life lessons," he said.
