Stan’s adolescent life panned out like most people’s do: some learning here, a few mistakes there, and a whole lot of social life in-between. Stan became comfortable with smoking, drinking and long nights. Exercise disappeared out the picture completely, and routine life struggles like relationship drama and work stress came into play. For the next couple years, life for Stan felt quite mundane, stripped of goals and ambitions. He needed something to re-spark that light.

In November 2011, at the age of 32 Stan had a long, hard look at his 100kg self. This is not the life he wanted. He acted upon the need for more from life and set himself three goals. A small, medium and large (seemingly impossible) goal.

 “True to my nature, I ended up completing them in reverse”

September 2012: Summit Mt Kilimanjaro
November 2012: Completed the 947 Cycle Challenge
February 2013: Swam the Midmar Mile

Completing his goals in reverse made him realise that impossible means nothing. Filled with passion ready for the next challenge, Stan set himself a new goal:

2013:
In November, he entered and finished the 5150 African Championships standard distance Triathlon.

2014:
In January, he qualified provincially in the PT4 category for Triathlon. This allowed him to compete on national level, where he placed second.
For international racing to become a reality, a lot of serious training, planning and focus had to happen for the rest of the year.

2015:
He placed first in both Provincial and National Para-Triathlon Championships.
Two weeks later, at his very first international event, he placed 9^th in the PT4 category.
In May at the African Continental Championships he placed first in his category as well as overall.
Qualified to race in the Paralympic triathlon test event held in Rio.
Did exceptionally well in numerous local events.
In September, placed 4^th in his category for his age group at the Grand Final Para-Triathlon World Championships held in Chicago.

2016:
Starting the year off, placing first in the Provincial and National Championships.
In March he defended his title at African Continental Championships held in Bloemfontein.
At the World Para-Triathlon Events held in Scotland, Spain and France, Stan placed 14th, 14th and 16th respectively.
In September he qualified and raced as an Elite at the Grand Final Para-Triathlon in Rotterdam and placed 15^th overall.

Right now:

Stan currently ranks 12^th out of 85 athletes in the PTS4 category worldwide, breaking ground daily as he climbs international rankings following every event. Training in excess of 20 hours a week following a stringent plan set out by his coaches, Stan’s main goal for this year is to podium at the Grand Final Para-Triathlon World Championships to be held in Rotterdam in September.

Not losing focus on the bigger picture of competing at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, Stan also has his eyes set on the Common Wealth Games in 2018.

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