Professional Athlete, Samuel Mashishi from Ramotse in Hammanskraal, says he has plans to help children in Hammanskraal to develop as athletes.
He has been running sports development in Ramotse since 2017 and his team is sponsored by UNICA and Murray and Roberts Running Club from Johannesburg,
“I can register children with Athletics South Africa and help them get club colours,” he said.
Mr Mashishi runs long distance races from 10km to Comrades Marathon and his best performance marathon is 02:26:20 minutes, 50km is 02:58:32 and Comrades Marathon is 06:04:44.
He stared this project in 2017 with three kids which he says they were doing well. He gains his experience from a private school he works for in Johannesburg where he trains students.
He was encouraged to plough back to his community when one day when he came home and noticed Ramotse My Home Foundation, a local NPO that had organized a fun run for Mandela Day.
“About 13 kids asked me to train them and that is when I approached Unica for a sponsor and they gladly obliged,”
“It was also made possible because they also sponsor me for my big races and also with running shoes,” he said.
Because of his assistance, the boys he is training are already giving good performances at events such as the Warmbaths Race, Union Building Mandela Race and the Wonder Park Race. The latter was on 26 January 2019.
Some of the sponsors who assist him are Murray and Robert Running Club, Rene Kalmerm Faiza Abraham and Dana.
Community leaders interested in sports development in Temba can contact him on 0762873945 or email samuelmashishi@outlook.com
