By Simon Manda
On March 8, 2025, the Adaptive Sports Fund (ASF) hosted a successful Adaptive Go-Karting Day at K1 Karting in Boksburg.
The event brought together participants from various backgrounds for an exhilarating day of racing and camaraderie.
Among the notable attendees were the former Miss Wheelchair World first princess and model, Lebohang Monyatsi, and Paralympic silver medallist rower, Sandra Khumalo.
Lebohang Monyatsi at the Go-Karting event
The event was arranged by ASF founder Jeff Yates and was directed by Mariska Venter of ASF, highlighting the organisation’s dedication to providing inclusive sporting opportunities.
“It was my first time being into adaptive go-karting … there’s just so much freedom; there’s so much independence when you are on the track,” Lebohang Monyatsi said. “For a number of us with mobility disabilities, it can be difficult to find recreation that is accessible to us. What ASF has developed here is much more than a fun day out — it’s about tearing down barriers and proving that with the right adjustments, we can join in activities as many people do in everyday life. It has given me power and faith that inclusion in sports is possible and needed.”
The races saw six karts on the track at a time, three of them fitted with adaptive hand controls engineered for competitors with mobility impairments. One tender moment had a young man who is blind, Thando Jaca, breezing through his race under the guidance of a staff member.
The Adaptive Sports Fund is a non-profit organisation founded in 2015 that provides assistance for persons with disabilities to continue engaging in sports. Their main goal is to get funding to help buy adaptive sports equipment for persons who have mobility impairments to help participation in some form of sporting activity.
Providing inclusive sports programmes, ASF enables its participants to not only improve their body strength and fitness but also strengthen their mental and emotional health. This raises confidence and self-esteem for participants, mostly those who lack resources needed to participate.
Activities hosted by ASF include wakeboarding, scuba diving, wheelchair rugby, golf, rowing, skiing, hand cycling, mountain biking, paragliding and go-karting.
Through the procurement of adaptive sporting equipment and activity days, ASF provides well-needed opportunities for persons with disabilities as well as promoting awareness around disability inclusion in sports and recreation.
For more information regarding the Adaptive Sports Fund or if you would like to join in future events, visit them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdaptiveSportsFund or the website: https://www.adaptivesportsfund.org/.
