Alwyn Uys is a farm boy that grew up on the East Coast of South Africa with big ambitions to make a career of most loved sport as a youngster growing up, namely rugby, but at the age of 21 when he was well on his way to make a career out of rugby the setbacks and challenges started to hit him. 

At the age of 21 Alwyn was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis resulting in a life changing operation that deemed him unable to play sport again after that but despite this setback, Alwyn never gave up and ran out on the rugby pitch one last time. During this match he tore his shoulder, bicep and pectoral muscles clean off the bone which inevitably ended his rugby career. If that isn’t bad enough, Alwyn soon after his rugby injury sustained a motor vehicle accident at the age of 24 that nearly took his life if it wasn’t for Hosea that found him paralysed next to his crushed vehicle and helped him to safety. “Waking up the next morning, paralysed, unable to move anything from my chest down, it all felt like a bad dream! That this wasn’t happening to me right now.” was the first thoughts that surged through Alwyn’s mind post-accident.

Fast forward 7 years later, Alwyn didn’t just overcome paralysis but depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. He battled his demons, picked himself up and re-dedicated his life to Christ and to live fully for Jesus, Alwyn became the first Paraplegic in South Africa to ever complete a full-distance Ironman in a wheelchair and the first Paraplegic in the world to ever successfully swim from Robben Island to Blouberg beach which is an iconic 8km swim on the West coast of South Africa. Alwyn is an author of his auto-biography, co-director of his own life story documentary “Against all odds”, Ironman, ultra-athlete and servant of the Lord where he travels the world preaching, sharing his message of hope and inspiring millions with his unique story and testimony of how God can turn around any situation for the benefit of the Kingdom of God.