Nevonia Moodley lives with Friedreich’s ataxia and refuses to let the condition define her—she often says “the only disability is a bad attitude”. Diagnosed at 12 in 2002 after flu-like symptoms led to a life-altering diagnosis, she was once told she might not live beyond her teens. She has defied those predictions and built a public story of resilience and hope.
From 2016 to 2020, Moodley lived in a supportive home in Johannesburg that gave her routine, independence and community. Returning to her family home in Chatsworth has been harder: the house is not wheelchair-friendly, with steep stairs that often confine her to her room and require others to carry her—an exhausting and risky workaround that underlines South Africa’s wider accessibility gaps.
Moodley’s next step is intentional visibility: a therapeutic horse-riding experience at the Ridgetop Equestrian Centre with trainer Tracey Cumming, who has worked with South Africa’s Paralympic Equestrian Team. She hopes it will challenge assumptions about what disabled people can do and how they want to be seen.
Her 2022 autobiography, My Life, My Rules – My Style, My Attitude, set out the journey so far. She’s now seeking sponsorships to cover transport, training and event costs—“not sympathy, but solidarity”. Those able to help can reach her at 083 283 5336.
