Arnu Fourie was in matric when his life changed irrevocably – when a freak accident robbed him of his dream to take the field for the Springboks one day.

After his foot was amputated, he had to make a new plan.

Instead of joining the Golden Lions Rugby Union in Johannesburg, he came to study at Stellenbosch University (SU). Instead of playing rugby, he wanted to learn how to walk in such a way that nobody would notice something was different.

It was only in 2008 when he entered the Olympic stadium in Beijing with the rest of the South African Paralympic team for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games that he realised:

This wasn't his plan B. It was always meant to be his plan A. Five years after his accident he finally knew: He is exactly where he was supposed be.

And four years later his dream to stand next to his team mates and sing the national anthem was realised at the Paralympic Games in London when he and his 4x100m relay team received their gold medals on the podium in the Olympic stadium.

That was when he knew: He wouldn't change a thing.

***

Arnu, a learner at Grey College in Bloemfontein, had a few days off after the first three subjects of his final matric exam in 2003. However, an outing to a nearby dam with a few friends turned into a nightmare when the boat went over Arnu and practically amputated his left foot.

He had a junior contract to join the Lions the following year, but that dream came to naught. That is when he enrolled for a BCom degree at Stellenbosch University.

"I finished the matric exam but did not get the marks I wanted. I had to enrol for another course and switch to a BAcc degree later.

"It was a tough year," he remembers. Besides dealing with the emotional challenges, he was physically uncomfortable and struggled with his prosthesis.

He met his current coach, Dr Suzanne Ferreira of SU's Department of Sport Science, in his first year but the purpose of his visit to the Biokinetics centre was that they should help him walk "properly".

"I didn't want anyone to see I had a prosthesis or a limp. At that stage, there were no thoughts of becoming involved in sport."

His athletics career only started two years later, in 2006, when he took part in his first race. He finished about 4 seconds behind the other runners.

For Arnu, a competitive sportsman, this was a bitter pill to swallow. But he realised that he had to either give up or go full out. In 2007, he ran with a blade for the first time and also competed in his first South African Championships.

"I started to believe that I can do this."

He improved so much that he was included in the SA team for the Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008. There he came 4^th in the 100m and 6^th in the 200m. The results were not that important to him. He was inspired and filled with new hope.

He said to himself that he wouldn't "be just the photographer" again, and in 2012 he contributed to South Africa's medal count with the relay gold and bronze in the 100m (T44)

The four years since then have not been easy. Arnu was plagued by injuries and underwent operations and an extended rehabilitation process, all with Rio 2016 in mind.

He is grateful to his employer, Graham Power, who believes in his dream and makes is possible for him to work flexible hours.

"The sport has progressed to a place where it isn't possible to work full time and train after hours. My boss has played a big role in the fact that I am 100% prepared.

"The work has been done," he says. Now he can only give his best.

Arnu will be supported in Rio by his wife Carène – whom he started dating three months before the accident and who has been by his side the whole time.

The Fouries' son Nua (18 months) is staying home with his grandparents.

When you ask him about the future, Arnu will tell you that he is focusing on Rio first. The IPC World Championships taking place in the Olympic stadium in London in 2017 is somewhere on the horizon, but for now he wants to use all his energy and concentration to give his best at the Paralympic Games.

After that he will see what the future holds – but whatever it may be – it will be a Plan A future. 

* Arnu is a member of the Maties Parasport Club and a Stellenbosch Sport Ambassador

Photo: Arnu Fourie with is mother Marinda Cilliers, son Nua and wife Carène.