CYCLING NEWS - This year The Sports Trust celebrates its 30th anniversary. It was founded in 1994, the year that South Africa became a democracy, led by Nelson Mandela, who believed in the power of sport to inspire all people and change the world.

Since 1994, The Sports Trust has played a pivotal role in developing sports and sports facilities in under-resourced communities throughout South Africa, working together with its trustees and corporate donors.

One of The Sports Trust’s flagship programmes that has changed the lives of hundreds of young people over the past 19 years is the Nedbank Sports Trust Cycling Development Programme. 

Funded by Nedbank (a founding sponsor of The Sports Trust), this programme has brought the love of cycling to learners at schools that do not have the funds to offer cycling as a sport.

Every year it has supplied bikes and supported the training and participation of between 140 and 200 cyclists from under 13 upwards in 12 under-resourced high schools in the Western Cape, including the Cape Flats and Ocean View, Boland, and the West Coast.

The programme’s dedicated coach and mechanic, veteran cyclist Charlie Stevens, spends time at each of the participating schools to support the school coaches and advance the cyclists’ skills. He also shows the cyclists how to clean, maintain and repair bikes, and how to change tyres.

‘In all our schools, we have a 3-year planning schedule and every year cyclists who are ready are selected to compete in a wide range of road and mountain bike races, including the Cape Town Cycle Tour, Criterium (crit) races and the Piketberg Mountain Bike Challenge,’ says said Brent Williams, the Coordinator of the Nedbank Sports Trust Cycling Development Programme.

'To see these cyclists in the Nedbank green co-branded Sports Trust kit putting their hearts into the races is deeply inspiring,' says Poovi Pillay, Executive Head of Corporate Social Investment at Nedbank. 'The programme is all about building the confidence, self-esteem and commitment of these young cyclists, and it has repeatedly shown how sports participation improves performance in the classroom.'

One of the programme’s many success stories is Eduardo Engelbrecht, who joined the Nedbank Sports Trust Cycling Development Programme in 2016.

‘I grew up on farms in the areas surrounding the town of Piketberg on the West Coast,’ he says. ‘My cycling journey started when I went to high school at Steynville Secondary School in Piketberg, which offered this cycling programme. It sparked my love for cycling. Of all the sports I played, my passion and talent for cycling stood out and has grown stronger and stronger over the years in both road and mountain biking. Cycling has given me purpose and helped me to become a better version of myself.’

After only 2 years in the programme, he came second in the 2018 Western Cape Mountain Bike Championship in the open age group and has since continued his winning streak in numerous races.

After matric he worked at Bonthuys Bicycles in Piketberg for 2 years, where he gained valuable skills as a bike mechanic. Then in 2022 he started studying towards a diploma in plant production at Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institution near Stellenbosch, and is now in his second year. 

‘My goal is to complete my studies and pursue professional cycling in both mountain biking and road disciplines,’ says Eduardo, who in 2022 joined the Canondale Fairtree pro cycling team in Stellenbosch, with the support of the programme.

‘Since joining the team my mountain biking skills have improved considerably. I am so grateful to Nedbank and the Sports Trust for sponsoring me over the past 8 years through the programme, and for introducing me to other sponsors like Disfruta Sports and 32 GI Sports Nutrition.

I have gained so much knowledge, discipline and skill, and had the opportunity to visit new places and make new friends.’

He adds that from the outset, being part of the programme gave him a strong sense of belonging. ‘The supportive environment provided by encouraging instructors and peers has made my experience even more enriching. In all ways the programme has been a transformative journey that has contributed significantly to my personal, educational and professional growth. It has also inspired my life motto: “For every uphill, there’s a downhill”. It reflects the valuable lessons I’ve learnt through this sport.’

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