• Other

Rooi and Angula can reach highest level, coach believes

• 1 Month Ago 05 May 2025

Para swimmer Mateus Angula’s transition to Para triathlon is shaping up to be one of the best decisions he has ever made for his sporting career.

Angula, who was born without legs, first joined the two-week training camp with Challenged Athletes Namibia in November 2024, alongside amputee triathlete Jerome Rooi.

Namibia national Para triathlon coach, Naomi Schmidt, immediately noticed Angula's potential and invited him to rejoin the three-month High Performance camp with Jerome Rooi in preparation for the recent Nationals in Swakopmund and the African Championship a few weeks later in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Angula obtained first place in the Nationals and secured a bronze medal at the African Championship. Jerome secured first place and gold in both events.

Angula, like Jerome, is seen as a natural born triathlete and destined for great things within the coming years.

Angula has been provisionally classified as a PTWC2 Para Triathlete and the planning is to have his final classification in Besancon in France on 11 June 2025.

Climbing the ladder

Rooi’s three best results currently puts him in 6th position on the world rankings, meaning he is well-positioned to qualify for the 2025 World Championship in Woollongong, Australia, in October.

Jerome also participated in the 2024 World Championship in Spain, where he finished seventh overall.

Angula has shown amazing improvements in such a short period of time since being on the professional circuit and his coach firmly believes that according to his current split times he will easily be ranked in the top 15 on the world rankings very soon.

Angula’s natural talent combined with his discipline and work ethic makes him an exceptional Para triathlete.

His coach reckons he can definitely qualify for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, USA.

Meanwhile Jerome is already well set on the pathway. All he has to do now is race as many races as possible and improve his split times as well protect his start list status and current world ranking.

Jerome is in a excellent qualification position for Los Angeles 2028, despite still having a long way to go.

For the upcoming race season, both athletes have qualified for various Series and Para Cup events in Europe and the management team with the Namibia Triathlon Federation is working hard to secure the necessary funding to attend and participate in these crucial Pathway events.

Contributors

In the meantime both athletes remain in the High Performance camp and train between four and six hours a day, with two rest days per week.

All aspects of the athletes’ needs are being catered for in this training camp – from accommodation, meals, sport supplements, transport and sport clothing to gym access, physios and full-time coaching for all three disciplines.

Coach Naomi Schmidt says: “We are grateful to all our corporate sponsors and partners that make this program possible through Challenged Athletes Namibia and the Run Along Foundation. The program and the HP approach is definitely proving to work very well and we look forward to reaping great results for our athletes, coaches and country.

“Companies that supported us during the past 18 months of preparation were Frans Indongo Group, Namdeb, Nedbank, Hartlief, Deo Pharma, Coca-Cola, Terra Event, Indongo Toyota, Nictus Group, SBS Trucking, The Namibian, Ongwediva Medi Park, Dr V. Zatjirua, Mannie’s Bike Mecca, Döman Orthopedics and Yarde Marpe Physio.”