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4 Saturday, October 19 2019 | WEEKEND ARGUS ICYMI | IOL.CO.ZA The plane approaches Cape Town and, I’m astonished by the view of Table Mountain and the surrounding OUTRAGE OVER CITY BID TO LEASE CT STADIUM FOR R100 sea. It is so beautiful that I feel the urge to belong – Residents and ratepayers in the city are not necessarily to the people, but to the landscape alarmed at a proposal by the city to lease the Cape Town Stadium for R100 a year to JUSTIN CARTWRIGHT a municipal entity created to operate and M South African-British novelist manage it. The Stadium Company will METRO also receive a subsidy from the city. INSPIRATION CAMPAIGN HEALTH Effort to make sports CHRIS VENTER, who is blind, is led up Lion’s Head by Kosta Papagiorgio. The pair fields safer set a record and plan to do even greater things. | ARMAND HOUGH African News Agency (ANA) Blind hiker pays off conquers Inspired by lack of emergency services Lion’s Head KEAGAN MITCHELL [email protected] ILZE VAN DER MERWE and Birgitt Smit from Kids Kicking Cancer teach Liyahluma Nonkontwana, 7, mind-body techniques of martial arts NORMAN CLOETE MEET the man behind the lens who instruction, breath work and meditation, as part of their mission to empower children with cancer at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s goes the extra mile for the local sports Hospital . | TRACEY ADAMS African News Agency (ANA) LOSING his sight has not stopped a community. local adventurer from reaching new As a sports photographer for more heights. than a decade, Rashied Isaacs has seen This week Chris Venter became the a number of deaths, head injuries and first blind person to climb Lion’s Head fractures of football players on fields Empowering kids to kick with the help of a man who knows around the city. He started the Safer the mountain probably better than Sports Fields campaign due to the lack most people. Venter and his guide and of emergency planning and access to fellow adventurer, Kosta Papagiorgio, health services at sports fields. RASHIED ISAACS, Olympic silver medallist the pain of cancer to the kerb achieved the feat in an astonishing A few weeks ago, Bayview FC’s Elana Meyer and African News Agency 10 hours. under-16 captain, Imtieyaaz Wagiet, (ANA) photographer Phando Jikelo. “Every step was like putting a piece collapsed and died during a match | SUPPLIED in a jigsaw puzzle,” said Venter, who against Strandfontein AFC at West- lost his sight in 2013. ridge Sports Field. Further studies ZINZISWA DZAKWA In weekly class sessions, Smit and and sister, Khanya, travel with him to The climb, which would take a showed Derek Pinn, Igshaan Spruyt, the recognition it deserves following Van der Merwe teach them how to Rondebosch. sighted and reasonably fit person Craig Johnson, Moegamat Ruiters, the death of Imtieyaaz. THE kids are kicking their way to stretch and perform karate moves. On arrival, he looks eager to learn between one and three hours to com- Reza Salie and Ryan Rasool suffered “We still have a long way to go, less pain at Red Cross War Memorial Van der Merwe added that the new karate movements, jumping plete, one way, was done with Venter the same fate as Imtieyaaz. but the programme got the neces- Children’s Hospital. breathing, guided imagery and med- around with a big smile on his face. holding onto Papagiorgio’s shoulder Isaacs said: “The death of Imtieyaaz sary attention through the media and The Kids Kicking Cancer (KKC) itation techniques had proved to be One would never guess he has cancer. and being talked through every step Wagiet made me more determined social media, with some administrators programme launched more than 12 very successful in lowering pain and Nomali said when she heard that of the way. to bring awareness and train more finally making it a priority for their months ago at Red Cross. But now, discomfort during difficult treatments. her son had cancer, she could not The 46-year-old father of an 8-and- coaches in first-aid as part of my Safer clubs. KKC can be found in Tygerberg, Mait- “Children find it fun when we are believe it. Knowing how happy and a-half-month-old baby boy, caught a Sports Fields programme.” “I never thought the programme land and at Groote Schuur Hospital. doing karate moves together,” said the energetic he was made her even more virus when he participated in a trek Chairman and under-16 coach of would get tongues wagging, but I It all began in Detroit, US, with martial arts instructor. “It motivates us worried. around the globe which saw him visit Bayview FC Mark Rodrigues described always knew I was doing the right karate black belt Rabbi Elimelech every day, especially when we see the Liya’s sister said her baby brother 20 countries over eight months from Imtieyaaz as soft-hearted and disci- thing. This will make me sleep better Goldberg’s loss of his child to cancer. always showed a positive attitude at Cape Town to Dublin, on a Vespa. plined young boy. at night,” he said. Twenty years later, KKC was born, the hospital, and it was all thanks to He had been raising money for “In my 10 years as coaching, he The Mitchells Plain resident started and it has spread into a global move- the karate programme. the Red Cross Children’s Hospital at was the perfect captain. On an occa- the campaign four years ago when he ment committed to reducing the pain “As tough as it is for a child to have the time and that earned him the sion when he got a red card he was so partnered with an accredited company, children feel by using martial arts as a “ cancer, it’s a relief to see that child nickname “The Blind Scooter Guy”. apologetic. He had soccer in his heart Dunmore Training & Skills Develop- form of therapy. This is to help children get treated successfully,” said Van der Venter said he had been inspired and lived for it,” he said. ment. They offer first-aid courses to “We have expanded to six different minimise stress levels Merwe. by James Holman, a British adven- “I wouldn’t know if Imtieyaaz coaches and equip them with life- countries now – US, Canada, Italy, “KKC helps children be victors, and turer who was known as the “Blind would have been alive still today if saving skills. Israel, and South Africa – and we and get them calm not victims of the illness.” Traveller”. Holman, an author and there were first-aiders or paramedics “The free course, under the are launching in Zimbabwe, Zambia Diagnosed with leukaemia in social observer best known for his at the field. There is a 50% chance Safer Sport Fields banner, gave the and Botswana,” said programme co- Ilze van der Merwe February, Rozharn Crouse first writings on his extensive travels, was that a person will be alive because of programme the kick-start it needed. ordinator Ilze van der Merwe. M!"#$!% A"#& $'&#"()#*" complained about his left knee to his completely blind and suffered from the medical equipment and medical Currently, the programme has Birgitt Smit and Van der Merwe mother, who took him to a couple of debilitating pain and limited mobility, professionals we have in this age,” delivered over 150 trained coaches have been doing martial arts for the hospitals before his diagnosis. but he undertook a series of solo jour- Rodrigues added. with the level one first-aid skills which past 20 to 28 years. Van der Merwe said Grandmother Jessica Strydom neys that were unprecedented both in Isaacs said: “l can speak with enables them to perform CPR, treat KKC’s main focus was to teach children spirit of the child and the excitement usually accompanies him to his treat- their extent of geography and method. authority on the lack of safety plan- fractures, bandage wounds and treat cancer-breathing techniques. She in his or her eyes. ments, which are fortnightly. In 1832, Holman became the first ning, which includes non-existence of basic emergencies on-site,” he said. said they used their expertise to “They don’t associate us with nee- “I am happy he is getting better. blind person to circumnavigate the first-aid personnel at games, no entry City executive director for safety and help the children bring oxygen into dles and pins; that’s something they My grandson is in his maintenance globe. He continued travelling and for emergency vehicles and no periodic security Richard Bosman said: “It is the their bodies. identify with doctors,” added Smit. stage. We didn’t know he could get by October 1846, had visited every inspections of spectator stands. responsibility of the event organiser to “This is to help the children “Every time I see something about better due to the fact that his grand- inhabited continent. “I have seen it all on the sports provide medical support. Venues/sports minimise stress levels and get them karate on TV, I get excited because dad died from cancer as well,” said “My knee is pretty banged up but fields: from fractures, convulsions to fields used for regular sporting fixtures calm and more in control, which leads I like what Sisi teaches us,” said Strydom. there’s no blood. I am with Kosta now serious head injuries, which all went by sporting codes (football, rugby, to less pain,” added Van der Merwe. Liyahluma Nonkuntwana, 7. She said Rozharn’s sessions with and haven’t had him arrested yet, unattended most of the time.

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