06/24/2026
In January 2015, Daniel de Wet survived an accident that seemed almost impossible to live through. While working in a gold mine near Carletonville, west of Johannesburg, South Africa, the mining supervisor was impaled by a steel rod measuring approximately 1.8 meters (nearly six feet) in length.
The rod entered his body between his legs and exited through his back beneath his left shoulder blade, causing catastrophic internal injuries. The accident cost De Wet one of his kidneys and left him with extensive damage to several organs. Recovery was long and painful, requiring years of healing and rehabilitation.
Many people would have considered survival alone a miracle. But for De Wet, survival was only the beginning.
After regaining his strength, he gradually returned to training and eventually completed a full marathon in 4 hours and 50 minutes. The achievement was remarkable not only because of the severity of his injuries but also because he accomplished it with just one functioning kidney.
Determined to push himself even further, De Wet set his sights on the legendary Comrades Marathon, South Africa’s famous 89-kilometer ultramarathon between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Doctors advised him to monitor his hydration carefully to protect his remaining kidney, but he remained committed to the challenge.
His goal was deeply personal: to finish the race in 10 hours and 54 minutes—the same time he achieved when he first completed the event before the accident.
Reflecting on his journey, De Wet said that the experience changed his perspective on life.
“We often take life for granted,” he explained. “You realize that being healthy is incredibly, incredibly important.”