A Lotus River physiotherapist has been selected as part of the medical team for South Africa at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Kayla Richards, a University of Western Cape graduate, has been with the PSL and was part of the GladAfrica championship last year.
“It’s been in the pipeline but I never thought it would come true this soon, as I’m only 28 years old,” she tells the Daily Voice.
“I graduated six years ago with a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy but started working around sports men and women in 2017.
“I made significant steps towards establishing a career in sports in 2018 when working at the Confederation of University and Colleges Sports Associations (CUCSA) games and Region 5 Youth Games.”
She says she’s helping the hockey and judo teams.
“We prepare the athletes before events and help them with their recovery so they can be in top shape for the next round.”
The enthusiastic young woman says she didn’t allow her circumstances to determine her life.
“For me being from the Cape Flats, the area that is struck by poverty and gangsterism, is an achievement because I chose not to end up in that way and not to allow my circumstances to determine where I go.
“The Cape Flats is a part of who I am. The culture raised me. The violence is unfortunate but one always has the choice to not allow that to be a defining factor.
“I didn’t have the best growing up but I always had a loving family who instilled good values in me.
“Deciding how I wanted the rest of my life to pan out was up to me!”
The Olympics will start tomorrow and ends on 8 August.
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