Home-schooled athletes own the track
"This event was created so that home-schoolers could have the same platform for an athletics and entrepreneurial day as ordinary school-going children do,” said Tracy van der Berg, the event coordinator.
The extremely high temperature on Saturday, 19 October, could not deplete the energy levels of the talented young home-schooled athletes who participated in the 2019 HomeSchool Athletics and Entrepreneurial Event at Ruimsig Athletics Stadium.
An impressive 320 athletes between the ages of three and 17, from across the Gauteng region, showcased their athleticism in different sporting codes including athletics, high jump, shot-put and turbo javelin on the day.
“This is as far as we know the biggest event of its kind in South Africa and was held for the third year. It was created so that home-schoolers could have the same platform for an athletics and entrepreneurial day as ordinary school-going children do,” said Tracy van der Berg, the event coordinator.
What sets this event apart, according to Tracy, is that they do not discriminate against any religion, gender or disabilities. “We are proud to say that we are all volunteers (55 of us) who do not benefit financially in any way from this event. It’s a non-profit event and all money received goes into covering the costs of the event. Any profit made is carried over to the next year’s budget,” she explained.
The entrepreneurial side of the event looked promising too, as the stadium was surrounded by various stall-holders who traded with the approximately 700 people who graced the event.
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