‘Baby steps’: Kerishnie Naiker offers update after freak accident

Former Miss SA Kerishnie Naiker is finally gaining mobility after a recent freak accident left her temporarily wheelchair-bound.

Former Miss South Africa Kerishnie Naiker has shared a positive health update after a freak accident left her temporarily wheelchair-bound.

The beauty queen and businessman suffered a serious fall after bumping into a tourist at Cape Point in May last year.

After undergoing intensive rehabilitation, she has begun taking “baby steps” again.

In 1997, Kerishnie became the first South African of Indian descent to win Miss SA.

KERISHNIE NAIKER SHARES HEALTH UPDATE

In her latest Instagram post, 50-year-old Kerishnie Naiker shared a look at her intense physical therapy taken just days after her accident in May 2024.

“It could have been much worse,” she said of the incident.

In a prior post, Kerishnie – a qualified pharmacist –  revealed that she had started walking again. Sharing a video of her on the beach, the mother-of-one posted: “While I may not have full range of motion yet, I’m deeply grateful for God’s mercy and grace.

She added: “Walking again, albeit baby steps, is a gift.”

WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Kerishnie Naiker, she suffered a serious fall after bumping into a tourist on a steep flight of stairs.

She shared:  “I was accidentally tripped by a tourist while she was taking photographs. While on the stairs from the lighthouse at Cape Point, she walked backward into me, tripping me down two steps. She tried to get the lighthouse in focus and took one step too far.

The beauty queen dislocated both her ankles and had to undergo an intensive rehabilitation programme.

In light of the accident, Kerishnie Naiker has used her platform to share the lessons she learned from the experience.

She shared: “I feel it imperative to use this platform to reaffirm that we:

• “Do not take photos at the peril of others or ourselves
• “Are observant, cognizant of our surroundings, and situationally aware
• “Savour every moment and take it all in without having to witness it all through a lens
• “Are mindful, kind, and not oblivious of the well-being of others.”

She added: “Too many are dying while taking selfies and recording reels, and others are getting injured and killed by their negligence.”