ANRUNÉ WEYERS
ROLE: South African Paralympian
As a young child, Anruné Weyers was self-conscious about her freckles and curly hair – but this isn’t what made primary school so difficult for her. Born with a congenital defect, Anruné didn’t have a left hand and, in the able-bodied primary school that she attended, she was marked as ‘different’, and singled out and bullied.
It wasn’t until she was nine years old and a teacher encouraged her to find something that she excelled in, that she began to find acceptance. This ‘thing’ was running. ‘Acceptance’ turned out to be leaving her able-bodied classmates in the dust in both long-distance and track events.
Now a two-time Paralympian and World Champion athlete, Anruné recognises that these early-life challenges helped to shape her currentday strength and determination. She loves to show the world that she can do crazy things; that the mind and spirit can do the impossible.
“The world creates an image of perfection that we can’t all live up to,” she says. “I didn’t fit that image, so I became ‘the girl with one arm who ran faster than everyone else’. I teach at a school for differently-abled children, and I hope that I inspire these youngsters, who struggle to live up to the perfect norm. I tell them that they can find their own ways of doing things. You don’t need two hands to tie a shoelace, you know.”
Anruné is active on social media, telling her story to give others hope: “All of us have different stories. And anyone can become whatever they want to be, not only in sports but in any profession.”
She also tells her story to garner more support for South African paraathletes, who raise our national flag high with their achievements. At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, Anruné alone won gold, silver and bronze in the 400m, 200m and 100m events respectively.
Anruné loves being part of the adidas community – using the brand’s platform to tell her story, champion for inclusivity, and celebrate fellow athletes’ achievements. “The adidas brand has incorporated incredible technology into their gear, which helps all athletes – able-bodied, differently-abled, professional and amateur – to perform better. But for me, adidas is about so much more than clothing and gear. It’s also about trust and belief. I’m grateful and honoured to be a part of the family.”
Right now, Anruné is 100% focused on training for the Paralympic Games being held in Tokyo later this year. Before the games were postponed due to COVID -19 in 2020, she had said that she was ready to round up her professional career, retire, and start a family. Now, having had time to reflect, she says that she’s still super-excited to run. “My goal is to break my own world record for 400m and earn my first Paralympic gold. Running brings so much joy into my life and I’m going to give it my all with a smile on my face. I still have the fire. I still have this gift. I’m not done yet!”