Bergsig Primary School is off the beaten track in the heart of Bonteheuwel in Cape Town and is home to the JAG Foundation’s JAGRiders programme. Mountain biking has seen great growth in South Africa and Internationally, and so have the opportunities for aspiring young mountain bikers. South Africa too boasts some of the best and most beautiful mountain biking tracks in the world, however is largely inaccessible to children in high-risk communities such as Bonteheuwel due to high travelling costs and bicycle transfers.
It is for this reason that JAGRiders Coach and Bergsig educator, Graham Hector (Absa Cape Epic finisher 2015), set to work to layout a 1km mountain biking Cross Country course on the Bergsig Primary School grounds. The course includes drops, hills, berms, jumps, tight corners, and flat straights, allowing the children to experience the all aspects of cross-country and mountain biking. The Ride4Change initiative has seen the likes of Absa Cape Epic Winners Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm take on the JAGRiders track and 2016 was no exception.
With riders including the current National Elite Woman’s XCO champion Cherie Vale, ex-Springbok prop Eddie Andrews, ex-GNC Director Sean Kristafor, Triathlete Nic Muhl, and Rachel Smith fiancé to Springbok Flack Siya Kolisi, set the stage for the time trial. Cherie adds, “It was great to be part of the event and see so much enthusiasm from the kids. The programme is a wonderful setup giving the kids a safe environment to ractice their XCO skills and turning dreams into reality.” In addition to actual riding of the track, the day was filled with great interaction with
the JAGRider children. Graham Hector mentions, “Cherie Vale shared plenty advice with kids, coaches and in particular, an aspiring female mountain biker Deondre Kock (12)”.
The day was a great success, and was inspirational for all the JAGRider children in the programme, and where said inspiration does more the illicit dreams but actions real change in the lives of the children.
Eddie Andrews sums up his experience of the day, “Participation in sport not only contributes towards a healthier lifestyle but in gang infested communities, it’s a safe space where a child learns much needed social skills he/she would require for the rest of their lives in the pursuit of improving their quality of life.”
Top 5 track times:
1. Nic Muhl 3m25s
2. Cherie Vale 3m31s
3. Sean Kristafar 3m35s
4. Hans De Ridder 3m57s
5. Eddie Andrews 6m34s
