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At the age of 18, Arina Nicolaisen broke the T38 800m world record at the 2019 World Para-Athletics Junior Championships in Switzerland. One thought that would be the launch pad to great things. She was a teammate of the likes of Ntando Mahlangu, Simone Kruger and Puseletso Mabote, who have all been to two Paralympics already, writes MARK LEMKE.
However, Nicolaisen’s path didn’t follow that of her teammate. Now 24, she took a two-year hiatus from running in 2022 and 2023, but the positive news is that she is back on the track and looking better with each run.
“Breaking the world record in August 2019 was incredibly special to me. The next year was difficult. The Covid-19 pandemic struck and my coach passed a way, which was very difficult to deal with. I struggled to find another coach and it led to a lot of injuries in 2021 because I wasn’t training properly and my body suffered.
“At the start of 2022, I was diagnosed with Addison’s disease (causes intense fatigue and imbalance in hormone production) which meant I lost a good chunk of that year trying to figure out how I can still run without feeling sick.”
Then came her break. The cerebral palsy athlete needed to allow her body to recover from the countless injuries and difficult diagnoses which saw her performances decline. The Bloemfontein-based 24-year-old was unsure if she would return to the sport she loved. After all, how many talents miss two crucial years and then have the desire and ability to return to scale previous athletics mountains?
“Running has always been in my family. I don’t believe I could have done it without them. My dad, Anton, was a very talented runner back in the day (former world junior 3000m steeplechase record holder and multiple senior SA champion). He told me that I have a talent and that I would be a fool to waste it. His belief in me helped me get back into training and he helps coach me now.”
After returning to training in 2024, Nicolaisen has visibly progressed with each meeting. The equine-loving runner, who spends her free time on the back of horses, competed in the 2025 Toyota SASAPD National Championships and was the second-highest placed para-athlete in the internationally applied Raza points scoring system. Leader of the pack was Kruger, but Nicolaisen’s performance was the standout on the track in Gqeberha.
Her time of 2min 39.11sec in the T38 800m time was enough to be in the qualifying time for the Para-Athletics World Championships in New Delhi this year. Nicolaisen was delighted with her performance and is now looking forward again.
“I am aiming to go to the World Championships in September. I have applied for reclassification because I did not get reclassified during my break. I am hoping that it is approved and then it will be up to if am selected by South Africa. It would be an honour to represent my country again.
“Looking further ahead, I would love to make the Paralympic squad for LA 2028. That is the main goal I am working towards, and I believe I can achieve it.”
Now that Nicolaisen has emerged from a dip that was potentially career-ruining, she is looking towards a year of training, competing, horse-riding, and coaching athletics for her local school in Bloemfontein.
Photo: ANDRIES KRUGER
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