Young surfer on a roll to get to Japan champs
SHE already knows she has what it takes to win the 2017 SA Junior World Championships but needs your help getting there to represent South Africa in Japan.
S’nenhlanhla Makhubu, 15, from Chesterville is a dedicated surfer with her heart set on winning the international surfing competition which takes place in September.
She will be surfing in the under 16 girls’ team along with three other riders selected to represent South Africa.
S’nenhlanhla started surfing at age 9.
“It was my dad who took me to surfing lessons back in 2011, and I have been surfing ever since,” she said.
What got her hooked on surfing was the fun nature of the sport.
“I fell in love with surfing as it is unlike other sports because every wave is different. It’s also fun because it’s not serious all the time, it can be a hobby and not always competitive,” she said.
The Durban Girls’ High School Grade 9 pupil said the opportunity to represent her country on a world stage was a dream come true.
“I’m happy my training paid off because I’ve been looking forward to making the SA team since two years ago; that’s when I started taking surfing seriously as a competitive sport.
“When I got the call that I had made the team, I cried tears of joy, it got really emotional,” she said.
With R43 000 needed to pay for the trip, an online fundraising campaign, “A surfer’s dream campaign”, aims to help raise the funds. Her parents Khanyi and Colin Makhubu are appealing to the local community and general public to assist.
In the meantime, S’nenhlanhla said she was hard at work preparing to make the country proud.
“I am training every day. I have a strict diet and my coaches are strict. I’m also obeying the rules because I want to win,” she explained.
Her mother said the family was proud of their daughter.
“We are happy because she worked hard to get to this point and she still works hard to prepare despite not knowing if we will raise this money for her to go,” Makhubu said.
She described her daughter as a committed, hard worker who also excelled academically.
“At the beginning of this year she asked us to get her a passport because she was committed to working hard to make the national team. She really pushed herself,” she said, adding she had full confidence in her daughter.
If you would like to help: (https://gogetfunding.com/asurfers-dream-campaign/)