BLOEMFONTEIN – Struggle doesn’t mean you are bad at life. It means you are living and learning.

This coming from a 15-year-old Mpho Mphulenyane that was invited to take part in a national public speaking competition.

Mpho is a learner at Tswellang Special School for learners with physical disabilities in Bloemfontein. He is currently in grade 9.

He is dependent on a wheelchair due to his diagnoses of Central Core Myopathy that causes severe muscle weakness and postural deformities.

Madré Ferreira, a physiotherapist at Tswellang says Mpho is a very focussed and hardworking young man. She introduced him to public speaking. “He is very confident and his passion is to become a motivational speaker,” said Ferreira that also coaches Mpho.

An opportunity presented itself for Mpho to participate in a national public speaking competition called Podiumpret. He enrolled in the category: English Motivational Speech – experienced. This is his second year to participate.

During the first round in Bloemfontein, Mpho competed against able-body mainstream learners and scored 93%. He scored 98% during his semi-final round attempt. This earned him an invitation to compete in the final round on 24 September that will be held online.

Mpho also participated at the Mangaung Schools Public Speaking Summit on 7 August and performed excellently. He is through to the final round on Friday 14 August.

He has proved that he is willing, despite circumstances that is not always favourable to him, to work hard to achieve his dreams. Mpho has been invited to give motivational talks to Matric learners in the community. Ferreira says he is a beautifully humble young man that uses his extraordinary talent to motivate and inspire more fortunate learners than himself.