For Nick Bester, Nedbank Running Club National Manager, this quest of finding and developing the next Olympic, World or Comrades champion is a serious business and he never stops encouraging Nedbank Running Clubs across the country to become actively involved in the search.

 

Bester's vision is beginning to pay dividends because several of the cubs have active development programmes. A quick study of the regular Nedbank weekend racing results shows that there is a real chance that one or two of these youngsters might be able to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in four years. It also seems as if one or two Comrades champions are in the making.

 

The Nedbank Fast Legs Running  Club is serious about the challenge of making talented youngsters excited about running and, to accomplish this, it has put a proper coaching structure in place to help nurture the young athletes.

 

According to Kantoor Nkoane (Nedbank Fast Legs Running  Club) the club started with five athletes in 2006. It was first known as the Young Generations Athletic Club. In 10 years the club has grown and now has 43 licensed and 40 development athletes as members. These 83 athletes are not only mixed socially, they are also a mixture of development, track and field, cross-country and road race runners.

 

Nkoane proudly says that the club's vision is to help young athletes transform their lives. He has quite a few stories to tell of athletes who, through the disciplined lifestyle of running, have rid themselves of the shackles of poverty and even overcome physical handicaps.

 

'We are doing our talent search and identification around the Mangaung Metro, as well as urban, township and rural areas of the province, as well as at various schools,' he says.

 

'The club has quite a few coaching programmes going, which we use to help young athletes to master the finer techniques of track and field athletics or cross-country racing. Some of the coaching clinics run over five days, which makes it easier for our coaches to identify talented runners.

 

'Monnapule Ramabusa, Motlatsi Ntsasa, Mopeli Mopeli and Paseka Khalienyane are just a few of the athletes who have made the most of the opportunities offered to them by the club. They all earned their provincial colours and can boast with some good results to their names.'

 

Nkoane says his club is also actively involved in organising big races.

 

'We host the Town to Town 25 km Off Road Race, the B L Sun to Sun Half Marathon and 10 km, and the NuSun Mandela View Heritage 10 km Road Race and 5 km Fun Run.'

 

But the club is not just about running. It is also involved in the development of other sporting codes such as soccer, netball and indigenous games. If also organises games for senior citizens.

 

'Definite highlights for us are the annual tournaments, which we put on for people from rural areas to take part in the various sporting codes,' Nkoane says.

 

'As part of our social responsibility programme we also give away clothes to the needy in our community to enable them to participate in sport.'