Triathlon coach opens his academy
Zakes Mkhize teaches children from the townships triathlon.
FULTON School for the Deaf house father and triathlon coach, Zakes Mkhize, has opened his academy, Isipho Triathlon Club in Savannah Park.
Mkhize won an award for “volunteer of the year” in the SA Sport Awards in 2014 for the work he does at Fulton, teaching challenged pupils the skills of triathlon.
“I started this NPO after I came back from the awards in Johannesburg but the NPO was registered this year.
“He said he started his academy after seeing children in the streets with no proper places to play.
“In the rural areas and townships, children end up doing wrong things and smoking drugs because they do not have anything better to do with their time.
“There are many talented children out there whose futures are destroyed because they do not get any support or exposure.”
The club has more than 40 children aged between 6 and 16 years and two part-time coaches who train the children during the week while Mkhize is at Fulton School.
“They train the children after school and they try not to interfere with their homework.
“During my years at Fulton, I have learnt that sport plays a vital role in a child’s mind and they can even do it professionally after matric.”
Mkhize said many children are not exposed to the sport and has approached five schools around Savannah Park where he volunteered to teach the pupils.
“Every Wednesday on my day off, I visit the schools and spend one hour in each of them to teach the children triathlon.
“He said so far the children are doing very well as they participate in competitions which are held by the KZN Triathlon Association.
“The bicycles that we use were sponsored by the association. The challenges that we have are that we have very few bicycles and we sometimes can not afford to attend the games because of transport, which really sets us back.”
He added that because of the shortage of water and no swimming pools in their area, they focus more on duathlon which includes running and cycling.
Mkhize is now recognised internationally as a triathlon coach after he attended the British Triathlon programme in Bloemfontein recently.
Anyone who would like to assist the club can contact Zakes Mkhize on 078 664 5480 or zakesmkhize@gmail.com.
