As a new academic year begins, Aoate Oteng Tsimatsima’s journey is a reminder that academic paths can change suddenly – and demand resilience in unexpected ways. A life-changing paintball accident disrupted her postgraduate studies at the University of the Free State; yet resilience, support, and determination carried her to a Master of Science in Microbiology with distinction and a clear path forward.

Aoate began her MSc in 2021 after being encouraged by her supervisor, Prof Julio Castillo Hernández, who had mentored her since a 2019 internship. She entered the programme with hesitation, building confidence through the support of her peers and the collaborative environment of her research group.

Her academic path shifted dramatically a month after she returned from a four-month Erasmus+ mobility programme in Spain. A casual paintball outing ended in a life-changing injury when a faulty mask failed to protect her from a direct shot to the eye. The impact left her blind in her left eye and led to five procedures, three of them major surgeries. The change was immediate and far-reaching.

“Learning how to use one eye was one of the most difficult parts of this journey,” she says. “If I pushed too hard, everything blurred. I couldn’t even see the code I was working on.”

Tasks that once filled long nights became limited to short, carefully managed periods. Her right eye strained under the pressure, often leaving her unable to read text or generate outputs. She also experienced the emotional adjustment of seeing herself differently. “My eyes used to be my favourite feature,” she says. “Now I appreciate them differently. I am starting to love myself more.”

Despite these challenges, she did not continue alone. Her lab mates dimmed the lights each day to accommodate her visual needs. Her supervisor, colleagues, and friends reminded her to work at a new pace and to give herself the time her recovery required. Retired health professionals from her home in Thaba Nchu, ophthalmologists at Universitas Academic Hospital, and the reassuring words of Prof WJ Marais helped her stay grounded during difficult moments.

“There were times when I had no fuel left to write,” she says. “But the encouragement from everyone around me helped me see that finishing was possible.”

Continuing a complex research project

Her project, Endophytes in African potato as an alternative source of bioactive compounds, explored microorganisms living within Hypoxis rigidula var. rigidula, a medicinal plant facing overharvesting pressures. Through next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics, her research identified 12 potential bioactive compounds. The study also highlighted limitations in existing tools for analysing fungal genomes – an insight that is valuable for future bioinformatics development.

The work demanded the creation of specialised coding pipelines and required extracting DNA from endophytes present in very low biomass. These technical challenges contributed to the project’s intensity long before her accident.

Returning to her research after surgery required a new rhythm. Yet she found renewed motivation. “After my surgeries, I wanted to write again. I wanted to finish,” she says. Missing a conference due to the operations strengthened her resolve to return to her academic life and complete what she had started.

When her results arrived – confirming a master’s degree with distinction – she describes the moment as deeply significant. “Finishing with distinction felt like proof that anything is possible. For the first time in a long time, I was genuinely proud of myself.”

A new identity and a new academic path

Her experience reshaped not only her academic journey, but also her self-perception. Today, she describes herself as a proudly blind scientist, adapting to altered depth perception, occasional stumbles, and new ways of navigating daily work. “I choose to laugh and learn from it,” she says.

This perspective shaped the next step in her academic career. Aoate is now pursuing a PhD in Pharmacology, expanding her focus on medicinal plants and beginning work on cannabis. She was inspired in part by peers such as Sanele Cebekhulu and Dr Andisiwe Matu, whose own postgraduate journeys encouraged her to continue.

To fellow students facing unexpected barriers, she offers a message rooted in her lived experience: “Focus on what you can do. By choosing to continue, you’re already inspiring many.”