Coventry launches sports project
THIS week saw a dream come to fruition when Olympic 200m backstroke champion of 2004 and 2008, Kirsty Coventry and her husband Tyrone Seward launched “HEROES”, a scheme designed to empower children through sport and in turn help to build stronger and safer communities in Zimbabwe.
It was in 2013 when Coventry and Seward toured Zimbabwe to “Inspire our Youth to become their own Heroes”.
How could they convert their own opportunities and achievements to help give others a helping hand, a step up in life?
The Kirsty Coventry Academy website takes up the story from there: “Learning that drowning rates in Zimbabwe had been increasing on an annual basis with little being done about it, this became their initial focus. The Kirsty Coventry Academy was launched and a pilot project was implemented in 2015 to provide swimming lessons and water-safety messages.
“This pilot project and further research and planning showed other critical issues that needed to be addressed such as, the number of children not in school, teen pregnancies, child marriages, drug and alcohol abuse, and gender-based violence.”
All of which gave rise to HEROES and a plan to leverage “the power of sport to teach life skills”.
A community-based programme, HEROES provides free sporting activities to children in “underserved areas of Zimbabwe by utilising existing schools, sports centres, fields, and volunteer coaches from within these communities”, say organisers, adding:
“The inspiration Kirsty and Tyrone found from the children they initially set out to inspire has ensured they develop a scalable and sustainable model to: save lives through drowning prevention, empower individuals through education and training, and uplift communities by providing safe centres to play sport.”
“Our sports offer gender neutral, fully-inclusive and fun activities. Our coaches are responsible for teaching the kids sport skills as well as life skills through encouragement and mentoring.
“Our partnerships with these communities means HEROES can continue to create positive changes for children and the community over a long term period.” — SwimVortex.com.