Cerebral palsy is a condition that makes it difficult and sometimes painful to move, much less run. For persons with this condition, it may be a good idea to avoid running and jumping, except if you are Hessequa’s Dyan Buis. You see, instead of letting his condition control his life, he decided that not only would he start running and doing long jumps but also compete in sports and win a gold medal in the process.
Competing in the T38 class of the 2012 Paralympic Games, Dyan not only won a bronze medal in Long Jump but set a world record in his class. At that same games, he competed in the 100m and 200m sprint, winning silver for both. Not satisfied with three medals, he qualified for and competed in the 2016 Games where outdid himself and not only brought home the 400m gold, but broke a 16 year record with his time of 49.96 seconds. Of course, four medals was not enough so he added a fifth bronze in the long jump.
Last year, he reached another milestone, when, on the 8th of December, he walked up to the podium to receive his Masters Degree in Education Policy Studies from the University of Stellenbosch. Of his degree, the father of two says he is most grateful to his wife, Erna. He says it is because of her that he was able to devote his time to not only excelling in the world of sports but also in the world of academics.
Dyan is currently a teacher and Deputy Principal at Lückhoff High School in Stellenbosch and a pastor at his local Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa. He hopes to pursue a PhD, get published in academic journals and become a fulltime academic.
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