For the third year in a row, more than 60 cyclists of the St Stithians ‘family’ cycled for a purpose in the 947 Cycle Challenge.
Named Team Thandulwazi, avid cyclists completed the renowned cycle challenge on 20 November and raised significant funds for the Thandulwazi Maths and Science Academy. The difference that this academy has made to the lives of underprivileged school pupils was reported on in the article, Budding maths star, Week ending 15 November.
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The Thandulwazi Saturday School provides curriculum enrichment and extra tuition on 30 Saturdays a year, for more than 1 000 students from 170 high schools across greater Gauteng. Over the past 11 years, 59 new teachers have graduated from the Thandulwazi Intern-Teacher Training Programme and this year, 37 intern teachers are training at St Stithians.
The academy, now the largest of its kind in the country, facilitates teacher development workshops on Saturdays for more than 1 250 educators in Gauteng, using venues at St Stithians College, and in excess of 450 Limpopo-based teachers at a partner school in the rural Sekhukhune District of Limpopo.
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It was, therefore, fitting that the school put so much into the cycle challenge for this worthy cause. Team Thandulwazi was made up of 64 riders of different ages. The oldest rider was 72 years old and the youngest was only 11 years old. The team included the former rector of the school, David Wylde; Isasa director, John Lobban; St Stithians staff members; schoolchildren, parents and alumni.
Included in this number was the current rector of St Stithians College, Dr Tim Nuttall and his son Joshua, with numerous father and son teams taking on the cycle challenge together.
The school praised one of the cyclists. “We are in awe of one of our cyclists, Robert-Reece North, who arrived back in the country on the morning of Sunday 20 November from an international exchange, drove straight from the airport, to don his cycling gear and complete the 20th 947 Cycle Challenge with his proud mom, Christa North.”
The school said they were grateful for the generous support from Team Thandulwazi, who through their participation in the cycle challenge, raised more than R180 000 for the academy.
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