Mhlongo is nominated in the Sportsman of the Year with a Disability, up against Pieter Du Preez and Jean-Paul Veaudry, as well asSport Star Award categories, alongside swimmer Tatjana Smith and sprinter Akani Simbine.

Speaking to SABC Sport, the 2024 Sportsman of the Year With a Disability award winner says he is beyond himself with these nominations, especially since South Africa is full of high performing athletes.

"To be nominated at the SA Sports Awards again, honestly it feels unreal. It feels like one of those realities that are far too big for the dreams that you have growing up," said Mhlongo.

"Yes, you've built to be the best athlete possible, but even a better person that leaves a lasting legacy in the sport.

"But personally I never imagined that there would be a reality in which that would mean we are considered one of the best sports people in our category for a nation that is so competitive and one of the greatest nations in sports the world has ever seen."

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Having clinched gold in the men’s 100m T44, set two new world records in the T44 long jump and the T64 class 200m at last year's Paralympics, Mhlongo says he’s spent the most part of the year reflecting on last year’s Games.

"I think the break from sports has been incredibly difficult – you spend every second week reminiscing about the performances of 2024, the Paralympic Games and a lot of the build-up in a decade worth of hard work that resulted in tangible success," he concluded.

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