Athletics with a difference

Jeanette Diergaardt With various schools concluding their athletic season, homeschooled children are not left behind this year. The Epic Games, an initiative created by Erick and Anja Kramber to provide a platform for homeschooled and disadvantaged children to develop their athletic capabilities, kicked off on Saturday at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek, and saw a number of children partaking. According to Eric, more than 280 children competed on Saturday. The results of the track and field day will only be announced today at the Independence Stadium. The event saw children partaking in most track and field disciplines. Athletes from as far as Oshivelo and Gobabis competed alongside those from Swakopmund and some farms.Although homeschooled children can partake in schools’ athletics, Eric experienced that these children did not get the same treatment as the athletes originally from the school. “The homeschooled children would come first, second and third but would not make it to the National Zonal Athletics,” he said on what motivated him to establish a platform for homeschooled children.According to Leoni van Rensburg, one of the officials at the games and a coach at the Quinton Steele Botes Athletics Club, the event was a success. She called on more homeschooled children to partake. “There are more younger children here today, but I want to call on all the older children to come around as you are never too old to start,” she said, adding that the stars of Namibian athletics, Frank Fredericks and Beatrice Masilingi, started at the age of 17 and 16 years respectively.With not only homeschooled children who partook in the athletics, learners came as far as the Omaheke Region and were accompanied by Suzette Swartz. According to Swartz, she accompanied 11 children to Windhoek to give them more exposure to athletics in the country. “A lot of the children have talent but they often get lost in the system,” Swartz, who started to coach young talent in the north in 2017, said. According to her, she started coaching more seriously when she witnessed Masilingi at Noordgrens and motivated the young athlete, who also played rugby under Swartz’s tutelage.

Athletics with a difference

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-07

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Athletics with a difference

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-07

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