Former gymnast-turned-Olympic photographer Johann Meintjes has reflected on his “biggest highlight” — being the first photographer in a wheelchair to cover the Olympic Games in Paris early this year.
Meintjes’ life took a drastic turn 42 years ago when a spinal cord injury during a gymnastics competition left him a wheelchair-bound paraplegic.
“The only thing I could remember was that I went too low and landed on my neck,” he said in the SuperSport series Real World Champions.
“I was lying there when everyone came towards me and stood about me, and since then, I have been in a wheelchair.
“That was a big shock for me, but I needed to convince myself that even if I’m in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, I need to be positive.”
Despite his injury, Meintjes refused to let his passion for sport die. He transitioned into teaching, coaching and sports photography.
“I started thinking about how to get back into teaching. Those children were magnificent. They wanted to help me; they wanted to push me about in the wheelchair.