This August, Kgosi Pule will make history as the first wheelchair karateka from JKS South Africa to compete at the 7th JKS International Para Cup in Vitória, Brazil.
For Kgosi, this journey is about far more than stepping onto a competition mat. It is about representing athletes with disabilities, challenging perceptions, and helping shape a future where para karate continues to grow in South Africa.
His participation is shining a light on the inclusive side of karate and demonstrating what is possible when opportunities are created. As awareness grows, so too can opportunities for more children and adults with disabilities to discover karate, compete, and proudly wear the South African flag one day.
Competing in Brazil is also about building relationships with the international para karate community, learning from other countries, and bringing home ideas that can help strengthen and develop the inclusive division of karate in South Africa.
Kgosi hopes his journey will encourage children and young adults with disabilities to believe that they belong in sport. Whether they choose karate or another discipline, he wants them to know that they are capable of achieving great things and that they deserve opportunities to participate, compete and be recognised for their abilities.
His dream has been made possible through the encouragement of many people who believe that sport should be inclusive and accessible to everyone.
Kgosi would like to express his heartfelt gratitude to Casual Day and the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) for selecting him as a 2026 Casual Day Champion and for providing a platform that has helped make this journey possible.
The Casual Day campaign has not only raised awareness for disability inclusion but has also helped Kgosi take another step towards representing South Africa on the world stage. By purchasing a R20 Casual Day sticker through casualday.co.za/kgosi, supporters are helping both the NCPD and Kgosi’s journey to Brazil.
He would also like to sincerely thank IT Health, Anytime Media, VisualSync Media, Rolling Inspiration, Jumping Kids, and The Chaeli Campaign for their encouragement, generosity and belief in his journey. Their support has reminded him that when communities, organisations and individuals come together, they can create life-changing opportunities.
A special thank you also goes to JKS South Africa, his mother Carol Nthabiseng Pule, his coach Sensei Kaylin Smith, and every sponsor, donor and supporter who has stood beside him. Every act of kindness, every contribution and every word of encouragement has helped make this historic journey possible.
We wish Kgosi all the best with his competition as we know he’ll make South Africa proud!
