Konrad and Francois going through their routine on ice
By Simon Manda
The Gauteng North Provincial Championships were held from the 9th to the 11th of March 2025 at Forest Hill Ice Rink in Centurion with a major step forward in inclusive figure skating in South Africa.
A figure at the forefront of this movement, Francois Hartzenberg, an 18-year-old skater with Down Syndrome, is carving a new way forward on the ice.
A member from Club 21 School, Francois trains once a week at The Grove Mall and has been coached by Evolution on the Ice head coach, Konrad Giering, for the past three years.
His showcases have drawn attention perhaps less for his technical prowess than for his unabashed enthusiasm and passion for the game.
“If he qualifies, he’ll be the first South African skater in his category to compete at the nationals,” Giering says. “He’s so fiercely determined. He loves the freedom on the ice. He shines when he dances his routines at competitions. That is when he really feels free.”
Francois took to the rink on the second day of the competition accompanied by coach Giering for a confidence boost. Cheering for him from the stands were his proud grandparents, the Nieuwoudts; the Club 21 School principal, Mrs Fourie; and his school secretary, Mrs Kok.
For skaters with disabilities, the nature of competitive evaluation is vastly different from that in Olympic- level figure skating.
Whereas in traditional competitions the technical interpretation is typically a dominant factor, in the disability divisions judges assess the artistic execution of the skater.
Presentation and the skater’s performance in addition to the interpretation of the music (relative to the skater’s being at the specific level) are factors considered by the judges.
Konrad and Francois joined by grandma , Leonie Nieuwoudt
This approach is more objective, not only allowing for fair competition; it defines what can be said of the achievements of each skater in their own context.
The chairperson of the Gauteng North Figure Skating Association (GNFSA), Anne Waldek-Thill, highlights their efforts to develop such opportunities, saying, “We are undergoing a project to bring more diversity and disability inclusion to figure skating across South Africa. By focusing on township audiences and Club 21 school, we are opening doors that were closed before. Structured opportunities for these athletes to perform on a grander stage are a potential partnership with the Special Olympics that we’re in the process of exploring.”
The weekly skating sessions at The Grove Mall in Pretoria East for Club 21 learners are a significant step toward this more inclusive vision.
Francois, who counts Spider-Man, Hulk, and Thor as his superheroes and whose inspiration to take the ice was the movie “Cool Runnings”, is carving his own trailblazing way in the sport. He donned a Thor costume complete with the cloak for his performance at the competition.
His story is representative of how inclusive sporting opportunities change lives but also add further depth to a competitive landscape as diverse as the nature of the country in which it resides — in this instance, figure skating in South Africa.
Visit www.gnfigureskating.co.za for more details on inclusive figure skating initiatives or e-mail chair@gnfigureskating.co.za.
