Meet Lizelle Cronje: para cycling convenor

There is nothing more fulfilling for Lizelle Cronje than the joy of a child. The 35-year-old from Bloemfontein has been working with children with special needs for ten years at the Martie Du Plessis Special School as an occupational therapist. In 2024, Cronje took on the role of national code convenor for para-cycling at SASAPD.

“When I joined this school, I worked with children who could not walk properly. As soon as they were able to climb onto their bikes and begin to move, their smiles grew and their faces lit up. I realised that I could make a real difference in the lives of these kids and that has fuelled my passion ever since, which I have brought with me into this role of national code convenor for para-cycling.”

Cronje’s role as national code convenor focusses on the junior ranks. She is entrusted with the development and growth of junior para-cycling and the young cyclists dreaming of reaching the senior level.

“My job is to make sure our junior cyclists are good enough and ready to hand over to Cycling South Africa, from where they go on to excel on the world stage. I have given a lot of focus on improving our times at junior level to match a high standard that we have set in collaboration with Cycling South Africa.”

The high standards that have been set have proved to bring success to Cronje's ambitions as she has recently received confirmation that para-cycling can go to the South African Youth Championships in September.

“The Youth Championships will be an amazing opportunity for our cyclists to gain valuable experience in racing and road racing,” said Cronje.

The ambitions of our para-cycling national code convenor are clear, and the hard work she puts in, combined with her evergreen passion for the youth, is showing tangible results. The South African Youth Championships is an exciting sign of what is to come during Cronje’s time with para-cycling.