In an age where too many people are content to let go of their physical passions as the years roll by, one South African Masters athlete is rewriting the script—with titanium joints, surgical scars, and an unrelenting love for the game.
In November 2023, just after winning his section of the South African Masters Squash Doubles, he paid a visit to his surgeon. The conversation was simple but unforgettable.
“I told him, ‘I will not die watching TV—I will die playing sport,’” he recalls with a laugh. Two weeks later, he underwent his second hip replacement. The first was in 2018. By August 2024, he was back on the court—competing in the World Masters Squash Championships in Amsterdam, winning two matches, and pushing seeded players to the edge in two more.
This is not the story of an unscathed champion. It’s the story of a warrior who’s had a tennis elbow operation (2005), a shoulder operation (2011), and two artificial hips—and still finds himself thriving on the world stage.
“They call me the Bionic Man,” he says, with a mix of pride and humor. “My doctors just shake their heads and say, ‘Keep defying logic.’ And I intend to.”
For him, playing sport isn’t a choice. It’s a calling. It’s embedded in his blood, woven into the rhythm of his days, as essential as breathing.
“Once sport is in your blood,” he says, “you never stop playing. You may hit speed bumps, but you don’t quit. You can’t quit. You just find new ways to keep moving.”
And in June 2025, he turns 66. But age, for him, is just another number on a scoreboard that doesn’t define the game.
Next Stop: Taipei
When asked what he looks forward to in Taipei, he doesn’t hesitate. “I have two passions,” he grins, “sports and travel.” Taiwan will be the 41st country he visits, another stamp in a passport that tells a story of bold exploration and relentless movement.
A solo traveler by nature, he walks up to 20 kilometers a day when abroad, losing himself in the colors, sounds, and cultures of every country he visits. The language barrier? Just part of the fun. “I only speak English, but that’s never stopped me from connecting with people,” he says.
And that’s where sport comes in again. On the court, communication is universal—sweat, grit, smiles, and the mutual respect between competitors. At every tournament, he faces opponents from at least three different nationalities. “Squash is more than a game—it’s a bridge between cultures,” he says.
A Life Fully Lived
His story isn’t just about physical endurance. It’s about mental toughness. About passion that outpaces pain. About refusing to live a life limited by circumstance. It’s about showing up—surgically repaired, maybe, but fully alive.
So, to the next generation of Masters athletes, his advice is simple and unforgettable:
“Don’t stop. Play through the pain. Laugh through the surgeries. Travel wide. Compete hard. Live deeply. Because once sport is in your soul, it will carry you further than you ever imagined—even with two artificial hips.”
His heart beats with the power of something indestructible: passion.
