Johannesburg, South Africa – Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited (“Aspen”), a global multinational specialty pharmaceutical company, has presented a state-of-the-art high performance wheelchair to South African wheelchair tennis star Donald Ramphadi.
Ramphadi, a French-open double quads champion and a prominent figure in wheelchair tennis, reached his maiden Grand Slam final at the Australian Open Wheelchair Championships in January 2024. He is undeterred by his impaired mobility and his fourth place single quads ranking by the International Tennis Federation is testament to his talent.
On the occasion of the presentation, Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen Senior Executive Strategic Trade said, “Aspen is honoured to support Donald Ramphadi ahead of his 2024 season when he takes to international courts to defend his title at the Paris Paralympics in France, among many others. We also laud Donald for his nomination in the 2024 South African Sports Awards’ Sportsman of the Year with a Disability category. In recent years we recognized Donald’s exceptional athletic talent, his unwavering dedication to wheelchair tennis and his dreams of bringing back gold for South Africa. Aspen subsequently facilitated the customisation and provision of a state-of-the-art high performance wheelchair tailored to his unique requirements to assist him in reaching his athletic goals. This action endorses Aspen’s commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and the empowerment of athletes with disabilities. It is also aligned to our philosophy of embracing sports, arts and culture as powerful unifiers to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce the disease burden on our healthcare system.”
An overjoyed Donald Ramphadi said, “I am so grateful for this generous donation from Aspen which is a major boost ahead of the 2024 Paris Paralympics in France. I’ve previously played in matches where I’ve had to retire my lead because of my wheelchair which naturally shattered many dreams. I’m excited about this wheelchair and I’m more determined than ever to up my game and take everything that I can in the upcoming tournaments that I compete in.”
