GO!Durban Cycle Academy turns five
The Academy currently oversees the training of 400 beneficiaries across its four sites.
THIS February, the GO!Durban Cycle Academy celebrates its fifth anniversary and, since its inception, has significantly impacted the lives of numerous young people through dynamic youth development programmes.
Launched in 2016, the Academy is a joint initiative between the eThekwini Transport Authority and the Green Corridors NPC. It provides free cycling training, academic support and life skills opportunities to youth in in Inanda, Chesterville, KwaDabeka and KwaMashu.
It is the largest cycling development programme in South Africa and currently has 400 beneficiaries between six to 18 years old. Its primary objective is to offer recreational cycling at a grassroots level and talented riders are selected to participate in provincial and national events based on both technical ability and academic results.
The Academy is home to three world-class Velosolutions pump tracks and has hosted two Red Bull Pump Track World Championships qualifier events (2018 and 2019) at the track in KwaDabeka.
“We have set a precedent for similar programmes across the country,” said the programme director of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy, Shaun Peschl. “We were delighted the Academy won the Sports Development Programme of the Year Award at the 2019 Hollard Sport Industry Awards, as this recognised our holistic approach to youth development, sporting achievements, and positive community impact.”
A key focus recently has been female development and, in 2019, it trained the first black female riders to compete in the KZN Gravity series (Downhill and Enduro MTB) and represent the province at the Spur High School MTB League national finals in October 2019.
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In 2019, the programme expanded to include a musical theatre academy where youth are enrolled in singing, dancing and acting classes.
The Academy has continued to invest in the success of the youth during the Covid-19 pandemic. This included providing monthly food packs to all of its members. It also launched an academic support campaign where mathematics and English tutors conducted WhatsApp sessions with matric learners.
“We began the GO!Durban Cycle Academy as a proactive way to develop a culture of active mobility within communities who would not usually have had access to cycle training and equipment,” explained the head of the ETA, Thami Manyathi. “We have seen how the youth have changed, with improved academic results and cycling abilities, as well as greater involvement and commitment to the sport and their communities.”
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