Willie Smit Grew Up Roaming The Streets Of Lydenburg, Mpumalanga. With The Support Of Friends And Family He Managed To Rise Above The Circumstances He Was Born Into. Now This Pro Cyclist Rides With The World’s Best Athletes. Here’s How He Climbed To The Top.
THE MAN
WILLIE SMIT
OCCUPATION CYCLIST
MAURO MATALONE
LOCATION JOBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
BY MEGAN FLEMMIT
Cycling through the mountainous region of southern Portugal, Willie Smit was focused on one thing: to finish the Volta ao Algarve with the highest rank possible. The stage race had been tough, but the pro cyclist was determined to succeed. Surrounded by the world’s best cyclists, Willie began descending one of the mountain peaks. When some of them crashed in front of him, Willie had to make a decision in a split second: he had to choose which way to veer, to miss the carnage. But Willie made the wrong decision – and found himself on the side of the road, battered and bruised.
A sharp pain in in his collarbone signalled a possible fracture. Willie was out of the race. But while he felt a twinge of disappointment, he didn’t stay down for long. He’d been injured many times before. Each time, he came back stronger than ever. “People think that when we break a bone, we’re out for a longtime. But in the World Tour team, their finances are good. So when I broke my collarbone, they organised an operation the very next day.”
Willie was flown to Belgium, where a team of doctors operated on him. An osteopath manipulated the bone to allow his body to heal quicker. “It’s very painful, but it’s very safe, and then you’re allowed to continue.” Two days later, Willie was back on his bike.
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