SA Man of the Week: Hein Wagner

It has been said that people born blind grow and mature with an intellect absolutely void of the pre-conceptions or judgments of those with sight.

Their minds become formidable think tanks… platforms from which they develop razor sharp insights into life’s everyday problems & challenges.

Hein Wagner is such a man –

        a man who lists more personal achievements than many!

• Most recently Hein became the first blind person to complete the 2011 ABSA Cape Epic (the Tour de France of mountain biking): 707km over 8 days climbing more than 15 000 meters.

• In January 2011 Hein completes the Ironman 70.3 in East London

• In February 2010 Hein set a lap record around the East London Grand Prix circuit

• On 6 October 2009 Hein broke the World Blind Land Speed Record becoming the fastest blind driver in the world by averaging a speed of 322.5km/h in a Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series

• In March 2007 he completed the Hong Kong Marathon, known to be one of the toughest marathons in the world

• In November 2006 Hein completed the New York City Marathon

• In August 2006 he took part in the Standard Chartered Bank Ironman event in Korea, completing 180km on a tandem bicycle, under extreme weather conditions.

• Hein has skydived from a height of ten thousand feet and bungee-jumped from one of the highest bridges in the world

• In February 2006 Hein became the first blind person in the world to cycle solo over a distance of thirty-nine kilometres

• He was the first South African to brake a World Land Speed Record in September 2005 reaching a speed of 269 km/h in a Maserati Gran Sport

• He was a player in the South African blind cricket team that won the World Cup in India during the inaugural Blind Cricket World Cup  in 1998

• He has tackled the white waters of the Zambezi River in a rubber raft

• He completed the Cape to Rio Yacht Race at the age of 22.

• He has run several Marathons and climbed the 10 highest mountains in the Western Cape

• He achieved Western Province colours for athletics (1989 & 1990)

• Hein also performed his autobiographical show, Bat Magic, at all the major art festivals in South Africa.

• He completed his APM (Advanced Professional Management) through the Open University of London