The awesome power of sport

SKATEBOARD: RISING STAR SAYS IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO UPLIFT YOUTH AND COMMUNITY

- Marizka Coetzer

Passion turns into lessons which make positive impact on township.

Founder of the Mamelodi skate club Poelo Mofolo, who grew up in a children's home, says building a skatepark is not just about getting local skaters from the township to the Olympics, but about what the sport can do for the youth and community.

"I learnt to skate with an old skateboard and got really good. Then I got sponsored by local skateboarding brands, got free clothes and free shoes and became an ambassador for the shop.

"For me a kid who was living in a room with 20 others, and all of a sudden I was being flown to Durban and got to choose my own clothes, it changed my outlook on life. It's not just about the skateboarding skills, it's about what skateboarding could do for me," he said.

His passion for skateboarding quickly turned into skating lessons leaving a positive impact on the children of Mamelodi.

Mofolo said his dream was for local skaters to train and qualify for the next Olympics.