Words: Megan Pilditch | Photo: Gameplan Media
Talente Mkize is a grade nine pupil from the impoverished Amaoti community with big dreams of cycling for South Africa one day.
Last year Mikze rode the aQuellé Tour Durban with fourteen other riders from the Domino Development Team. Mkize was the youngest rider on the Development Team and joined fellow classmates, teachers and Life Skills workers from Amaoti 3 High School to ride Durban’s premier cycling race.
Even though the team consisted of novice riders, Mkize one of them, the Domino Development Team finished the Tour Durban in high spirits with most opting to return to the race this year.
Despite daily challenges of finding and replacing cycling gear and equipment Mkize has big dreams for his cycling career. “Cycling is in my blood,” Mkize explained. “It has always been my dream to be a cyclist and to ride for South Africa one day!”
Talente comes from the largest informal settlement in KwaZulu-Natal, Amaoti, an impoverished community characterised by national social issues such as poverty, HIV and unemployment.
The Domino Foundation, the sole beneficiary of the Tour Durban, works into the Amaoti community and instead of just benefitting financially has decided to be actively involved in and around race day.
For the last three years the Domino Foundation have entered a development team into the Tour Durban to show the Amaoti community that sport can be a positive activity to pursue and that it can break the cycle of poverty and HIV.
This will be the second time that Mkize will be cycling the Tour Durban pushing him one step closer to realising his dreams. You can listen to what Mkize has to say about his hopes of cycling for South Africa. (video attached)
The aQuellé Tour Durban road races takes place on Monday 28 April 2014. More information can be found at www.tourdurban.co.za
To find out more information about the Domino Foundation visit www.domino.org.za.
