Sandile runs to make a difference

SANDILE Nyoka, who is a keen runner, is using his skills to help raise funds for the Durban Child and Youth Care Centre (DCYCC) where he works.

Sandile is a member of the Chesterville Athletics Club, and will be using his passion for running to raise funds for DCYCC.

Nicolette Modicka from DCYCC said Sandile had approached her after a team meeting recently, and asked if she could help him to find a way he could generate some funds for the organisation by participating in a few key running races.

Nicolette has since registered him as a Charity Champion on Back-a-Buddy, an online crowdfunding platform, and Sandile has decided to take on the Mandela Legacy 10km Challenge on 30 July and the Mandela Day 42.2km Marathon on 27 August to raise funds for the organisation.

Sandile said his interest in running started when he was in high school, where he used to run 100m and 200m races.

“After matric I got into ultra and road marathons and have been participating in long runs for the past seven years,” he said.

His running distances have grown over the years from 5km to 42km races and he has also run the Chatsworth 56km race, but says he is not quite ready to tackle the Comrades Marathon just yet!

“Doing these marathons for DCYCC will hopefully motivate me to take part in the next Comrades Marathon as I will be motivated by why I am doing it,” he said.

Sandile trains by running 10km in the morning and runs time trials at Chiltern Athletics Club on a Tuesday and on a Wednesday at his club in Chesterville. On other days he trains on his own, doing up to 25km each day, and up to 35km when he is training for a certain event.

“I really enjoy running and put in between 60km and 70km in a week,” he said.

Sandile has set a personal target to raise R100 000 on the races he is participating in and believes by tackling these races he will make a difference in the lives of the children at the centre.

Mandy Goble, director of DCYCC said she was overwhelmed by his offer to raise funds for the organisation.

“Considering Sandile is a child and youth care worker and works extremely long hours under taxing conditions, he has very little time off and his commitment to make time to train is amazing. In my 27 years here, this is the first time I have known of an employee who has offered from his own heart to assist with fundraising in such a novel way. This highlights Sandile’s commitment to what he does and shows he completely believes in what he is doing. He is such an awesome role model for the children and staff,” she said.

She said this was an opportunity for a community like Chesterville, where a lot of people were struggling, to see what Sandile is doing.

“It shows you don’t have to have money to make a difference, you just have to have a big heart!” she said.

The community is encouraged to go onto the Back-a-Buddy page and sponsor Sandile: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/durban-child-youth-care-centre