Para table tennis star Sthabile Mnyandu on playing through hardship and making history

On a fateful day in 2002, Sthabile Mnyandu’s life was forever altered. At just six years old, she was the victim of a rogue grass fire that nearly cost her young life.

Though she does not remember much about the tragic incident, she recalls spending time in hospital on the road to recovery after suffering severe burns over most of her body.

Even after spending nine months in a coma, her ordeal was not over, as she spent a lengthy period in hospital. She cannot recall exactly how long it was.

“I was only able to start primary school in 2005, when I was nine. That’s when I started Grade 1 at a boarding school for people with disabilities, called Ethembeni School,” said Mnyandu (28), who is from Bhamshela in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal.

“After finishing my primary schooling I went to secondary school at Open Air School in Glenwood, Durban.

“Between grades 8 and 9 in particular, my schooling was constantly disrupted. I had to travel to Johannesburg regularly, as I needed a number of operations,” she told Daily Maverick.

A teacher of hers had reached out to the Children of Fire nonprofit, based in Johannesburg, which helps burn victims in various ways. With the help of the charity, one of the procedures Mnyandu underwent was for tissue expansion on her head, to improve her hairline. She also had operations on her feet and hands.

Love at first swing

Today, Mnyandu is ranked No 1 in South Africa in women’s para table tennis and in the top 30 globally. But the burns she suffered affected how she used her hands, which meant at first she could not even hold a table tennis racquet properly.

“I began playing table tennis in primary school… Initially, I was just a ‘ball girl’, fetching balls for the ones who played. But as time went on, I became curious and wanted to try playing myself. So that’s when I really started,” Mnyandu said.

“In 2010, I was first picked to represent KwaZulu-Natal at the national championships in Gqeberha. I won a bronze medal during that tournament.

“After that I kept on entering more competitions and collecting those bronze medals. My first gold came in 2014 at the National School Sport Championship Summer Games.

“In 2015 I received my first opportunity to represent South Africa in Morocco, where I came away with another bronze medal.

“In 2017, I was selected again to represent the country in Taiwan. But that did not go so well for me. But I persisted, up to the point where I currently find myself, though it’s been a bumpy road, with a number of challenges,” Mnyandu said.

So, where exactly does Mnyandu find herself? She has two degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. One is a bachelor of social science qualification, for which she majored in criminology and psychology. She also has an honours degree in criminology and forensic studies. 

She juggles her chosen sport with being an administrator at HSG Attorneys.

Para table tennis superstar Sthabile Mnyandu dreams of competing at the Paralympic Games. (Photo: Supplied)

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.