We appeal to members to offer financial assistance to a talented teenager who could be awarded her Protea (national) colours for bouldering through her involvement in our Outreach and Youth Programmes! The awarding of these colours is, however, dependent on sufficient funds being raised to cover the costs of her participation in the 2017 Youth Climbing World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, in September.
We have a national champion in our midst
In 2013 the Mountain Club of South Africa invited a number of children to experience rock climbing and learn new skills while having fun at the same time.
Since 2014, two groups of children – eight per group – from the Durbanville Children’s Home attended training sessions on alternative Friday afternoons at CityROCK Indoor Climbing Gym in Observatory. Our children showed excellent progress and five of them were selected to become members of the Top Out Climbing Club in Cape Town, which is a member club of Western Cape Climbing, the provincial federation of the South African National Climbing Federation. It is through their training with the coaches of Top Out Climbing Club at CityROCK Indoor Climbing Gym that these kids continue to improve. It was clear that participating in rock climbing has become a great emotional outlet for some of our children and has motivated them to become the best at this challenging sport!
One of our 15-year-old girls, Monique, has been competing on a regular basis in Local and Provincial Climbing Competitions organized by Western Cape Climbing. Recently, at the National Boulder Series Championships held over the first weekend of April, Monique finished fourth in her age category in the country and has been selected to compete for her country at an international competition this year, the result of which will be the awarding of Protea Colours to her. We were overwhelmed when we received a letter from the South African National Climbing Federation. An extract from the letter reads as follows:
“Congratulations! Following your participation at the National Boulder Series Championship held on 1 and 2 April 2017 at CityROCK Cape Town, you have been selected to represent South Africa in Sport Climbing, in the boulder discipline, at the 2017 IFSC Youth World Championship–Innsbruck, Austria.
As the SANCF is an official SASCOC member you will be representing South Africa in Junior Protea Colours at this international championship.”
The Durbanville Children’s Home believes that children should be awarded for their determination. The MCSA (Cape Town Section) has committed to making a contribution to Monique’s costs, but there is still a shortfall of R30 000, so we appeal for your assistance to enable this child to represent South Africa in Innsbruck. In doing so, you will make this little girl’s dream a reality.
Should you like to make a donation, please mail Johanna Strauss. Or call her at +27 (0)21 975 6822.