Picture: SIVENATHI GOSA
Local sport science graduate Ayandiswa Sowazi has always had a passion for sport and an interest in physical activities.
“Growing up, I used to play sports with my brothers and friends,” she said.
“After high school, I didn’t know which career path to pursue until a friend of mine introduced me to sport science and human kinetics.”she said. Her dream is to help has a dream of helping develop young aspiring athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds. to improve their skills.
“After graduating, I started looking for a job in human kinetics.
“I didn’t want to leave East London, as it is my home. The big cities intimidated me,” she said.said Sowazi.
She eventually got a job as an intern at Clarendon Primary School, where she had to do a course in education.
“I was in a classroom for five years.
“During those years, I discovered that this wasn’t for me, I belong on in the sports field.
“I spoke to the principal, which resulted in a drastic decrease in my salary, but I was willing to make that sacrifice for the love of sport. science.
“It saddens me that most of our people are filtering out to other places, building other provinces, instead of growing ours,” Sowazi said.
The passionate sportswoman woman is currently training athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds.
She to help develop their skills.
She said one of her athletes even came third in the Eastern Cape championships.
“During my final year in university, we used to go on trips where we dealt with children.
“That is where I discovered my passion for working with children because I believe they are still in a critical stage of their lives where they are still discovering their strengths and weaknesses.
“One of the saddest things that I have noticed is that pupils from previously disadvantaged schools have potential, but they lack the resources that will help them grow their talent,” Sowazi said.
She said the main reason opportunities in her career field were are rare was because government was not stakeholders are not innovative in assisting with finances and resources.
There are so many people in the sport science industry in our province that are not given opportunities. The interesting thing about sport science, is that you don’t only focus on the physical activities, but you also learn about how your body responds to the exercises you are doing.”
Sowazi has been trying for two years to make a difference in the lives of athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“I would like to implement programmes where we get the youth who are talented in sport, and people who are inclined in the field to get involved in such programs that will make a difference in a child’s life.
“There are so many social ills in communities, because there is no drive in developing young people in focussing in sport, so they dwell in criminal activities,” Sowazi said.
