Sporting equipment brings great joy

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GEORGE NEWS & VIDEOS - A joyful event was held at Life Christian Academy on Monday 20 June as a dual celebration: the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is celebrating its 20th birthday, and it has named George's Olympic silver medallist, surfer Bianca Buitendag, as the foundation's newest ambassador in South Africa.

The foundation is doing a goodwill tour in celebration of its birthday and George was its first stop. Buitendag, who is involved with Life Christian Academy, together with members of the Laureus Foundation and other stakeholders, visited Life where the foundation handed out sporting equipment to the school and the learners could forget the classroom for a while and participate in sporting activities.

Buitendag, who retired from competitive surfing after the Olympic Games in Japan last year, said she is proud to be associated with the foundation, which has done 20 years of good work in South Africa and abroad.

As she and the foundation share the same vision to help with upliftment, she took advantage of the opportunity to align forces and hopefully contribute to the well-being of others. She said having travelled all over the world from a young age as surfer, she believes that there is not one country that could be better than South Africa.

Asked by George Herald about her retirement, she said it was the right decision. She will not go back to competing again.

Jill Benting of the foundation said they were exited to see first-hand the work that Buitendag is involved with. The foundation uses sport as a tool to hold conversation with children that can be the start of addressing social challenges such as teenage pregnancy, school dropouts and gangsterism.

Sport is used to get them in a safe space. Sport is a universal language and it is important to use it as a positive tool to create safe spaces where young people feel they belong.

Maryna de Vries, principal of Life Christian Academy, thanked the foundation and Buitendag. She described the help as a massive blessing that makes it possible for the school to expand its activities.

PHOTO GALLERY: Life Christian Academy celebrates

Shireen Noble, vice-president of Athletics SA and president of SWD Athletics, who has been involved in athletics for more than 20 years, said she started as an administrator not an athlete, and has worked hard. She encouraged Life's learners to practise hard. "Practice makes perfect."

She encouraged learners to listen to their teachers and said they could become the next Wayde van Niekerks and Bianca Buitendags.

The Laureus Sport for Good South Africa funds, supports and promotes the use of sport as a tool for social change. The foundation has a network of over 30 Sport for Social Change organisations in over 100 communities, using sport in innovative ways to tackle some of society's most pressing challenges facing our youth, including poverty, homelessness, gangsterism, violence, drug abuse, discrimination and HIV/Aids.