Family refuses to let Elvsius throw his life away but become throwing champion instead

Giving his all: Sabah’s Elvsius John in action during the F57 discus throw event. — Bernama

KUCHING: Nearly giving up on life after losing his left leg in a road accident 10 years ago, Sabah’s throwing athlete Elvsius John had no choice but to rely entirely on the strength of his arms, which gave him a new lease on life.

Elvsius once again proved the power of his arms by not only sweeping all three gold medals but also breaking the Games records in the disciplines he participated in at the Para Malaysia Games (Sukma) at the Sarawak Stadium.

The 30-year-old completed his golden hattrick this edition by winning the F57 discus throw (physical disability) with a record-breaking distance of 32.18m, erasing his previous Games record of 31.99m set in the 2022 edition.

He fended off the challenge from two Selangor athletes Mohd Aizam Balqish Mohd Daniel Dangis (30.32m) and Aliff Shafiq Muhamad (30.15m), who claimed silver and bronze, respectively.

Earlier, Elvsius had won the javelin and shot putt golds in new Games records.

He shattered the eight-year-old Games record in the javelin previously held by Faridul Masri (27.02m), with a new distance of 27.43m. He also recorded a throw of 9.31m in the shot putt, surpassing Faridul’s 2018 Games record of 9.22m.

“I didn’t expect to break the (Games) record in today’s (yesterday) event as I admit I was not consistent during training, maybe this is a blessing from God,” he told reporters.

He dedicated the feat to his two daughters, Lanie, two, and Liana, one.

Reflecting on the dark moments in his life, Elvsius shared the difficulty of coming to terms with the accident after a 10-tonne truck hit the motorcycle he was riding in Telupid.

“For more than a year, I used crutches because I refused to wear a prosthetic leg.

“I had no motivation and even thought it would be better not to exist, what’s the point if all I do is lie down and do nothing,” he said.

However, the sixth of 10 siblings said the unwavering support from his family helped him rise again, realising that sports could change his life, as it has now.

After initially participating in a sports event in Sandakan just to try his luck, Elvsius never imagined that a coach would recognise his talent, eventually leading him to success at the Para Sukma. Now, he dreams of representing Malaysia on the international stage one day.