The Nedbank Sports Trust Cycling Development Programme is commemorating 19 years of fostering cycling as a sport in indigent communities in the Western Cape.
The cycling programme is one of the initiatives under the Sports Trust funded by Nedbank, which has been bolstering sportsmanship in economically challenged communities across South Africa for three decades.
The Nedbank Sports Trust Cycling programme has supplied bikes and supported the training of more than 140 cyclists from the ages of 13 in 12 under-resourced high schools in the province, boosting the love of cycling among learners.
Eduardo Engelbrecht is one of the many success stories of the cycling programme, which he joined in 2016.
Engelbrecht’s love of cycling was sparked when he was a learner at Steynville Secondary School in Piketberg, as his school offered the cycling programme.
“Of all the sports I played, my passion and talent for cycling stood out and has grown stronger over the years in both road and mountain biking. Cycling has given me purpose and helped me to become a better version of myself,” he said.
Just two years in the programme, Engelbrecht earned second place in the 2018 Western Cape Mountain Bike Championship in the open age group.
The second-year plant production student at Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institution near Stellenbosch gained valuable skills as a bike mechanic at Bonthuys Bicycles in Piketberg for two years shortly after he completed matric.
As he is pursuing a professional cycling career, Engelbrecht has been a member of the Cannondale Fairtree Pro Cycling Team since 2022.
“My goal is to complete my studies and pursue professional cycling in both mountain biking and road disciplines.
“Since joining the team, my mountain biking skills have improved considerably. I am so grateful to Nedbank and the Sports Trust for sponsoring me over the past eight years through the programme, and for introducing me to other sponsors like Disfruta Sports and 32 GI Sports Nutrition.
“I have gained so much knowledge, discipline and skill, and had the opportunity to visit new places and make new friends,” said Engelbrecht.
The Nedbank Sports Trust Cycling programme’s coach and mechanic Charlie Stevens dedicates his time at participating schools to support school coaches and improve cyclists’ skills.
The veteran cyclist also teaches cyclists how to clean and maintain bikes.
The coordinator of the Nedbank Sports Trust Cycling Development Programme, Brent Williams, said: “In all our schools, we have a 3-year planning schedule. Every year, cyclists who are ready are selected to compete in a wide range of road and mountain bike races, including the Cape Town Cycle Tour, Criterium (crit) races, and the Piketberg Mountain Bike Challenge.”
The executive head of Corporate Social Investment at Nedbank, Poovi Pillay, added: “To see these cyclists in the Nedbank green co-branded Sports Trust kit putting their hearts into the races is deeply inspiring.
“The programme is all about building the confidence, self-esteem, and commitment of these young cyclists, and it has repeatedly shown how sports participation improves performance in the classroom.”
The Star
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