Get in shape for summer by supporting Isability’s PTY-Fit-To-Fly

Date: 28 September 2024 By: 

Local sports club Isability is inviting community members to attend the PTY-Fit-to-Fly event, which will be held at Louis Trichardt High School’s Leeupark on Saturday, 5 October. “Fit-to-fly” is the name of one of Isability’s outreach projects, providing assistive devices to children with mobility impairments in Vhembe. The term “Fit-to-fly” was also aptly chosen as the brand name for the event, which aims to celebrate and promote a healthy, active lifestyle and our unique, God-given abilities.

The day will begin with a fun run (5 km) at 07:30, starting within the Leeupark premises, organised in conjunction with the Soutpansberg Athletics Club. Fun runners will be joined by Paralympic gold medallist and 2024 South African Sportsman of the Year with Disability Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Jané van der Merwe (Paralympian and member of Team SA 2024), and our own local Paralympian, Sheryl James.

The winners of the fun run (in categories age 6 to 12, 12 to 17, and over 17) will each stand a chance of winning R1,000, with R300 and R150 for second and third places, respectively. Prizes for the fun run will be presented by members of the Summit Africa Foundation, one of Isability’s funders. All participants in the fun run will also have a chance to win one of two prizes in the lucky draw. The school with the largest number of fun run entries will win R2,500 worth of stationery from Surat Patel, while the schools with the second and third most entries will also receive stationery prizes.

Other exciting activities during the morning will include a hands-on Pilates demonstration, a performance by young dancers from the Dance for Joy studio, and a dance item on crutches by acclaimed Gauteng performer Lethabo Shai. Local artist Inarie de Vaal will showcase her art and live artistic creativity, while the local SPCA’s farmer’s market and arts and crafts stalls will be present in full force, offering local produce and cheer. Hungry attendees can enjoy cultural fare from various food stalls representing different nations, and Studio 1 will be on hand to cater to those in need of a good cup of coffee.

A highlight of the day will be the 100m dashes, where local athletes can pit their skills against celebrities or participate in a blind-guide race or wheelchair push for fun. Monetary prizes will also be awarded for these races. Jumping Kids, a sponsor of some of our local amputees’ prosthetics and education, will present a demonstration blade race. Prizes for the 100m dashes will be presented by a representative from Jumping Kids.

In conjunction with these activities, around 80 senior para-athletic field athletes will be competing in trials for the 2025 National Championships, further highlighting Isability’s athlete-development initiatives. The day’s events will conclude at 14:00.

Participants in the fun run will have free entry to Leeupark, while non-runners will pay R30 per adult or R20 per scholar (entry for pre-school children is free). Fun run entries can be submitted on the day (registration begins at 06:45), or contact Sandy James on 084 506 3333 for more information and to enter before 5 October.

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