Earlier this month the spin crowd got together, as us Cape petrolkoppe like to do, and invited the Mayor to join them in adrenalin-fuelled support of a worthy cause.
The Autism Awareness Spinning Festival brought together people from the Spin, DJ, acting and political worlds to celebrate the diversity in and understanding of Autism.
Taking place at the Pit Stop, which is a new Spin pitch just outside of Montagu along the well-known Route 62 drive, the event started off with an awareness talk.
Anthea Motzemi, president of the Western Province Motorsport Association, and a woman very involved in Cape Spinning says that Autism is a much-misunderstood condition.
Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, that is characterised by great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts.
DARING: Participants doing their mal stunts
Anthea says: “Kids with autism are and can look different, and as a result they can get stared at because people think they are rude because they don’t respond as readily as other kids. In fact, this is a behaviour that cannot be helped.
“There is a clinic in Mumbai that is doing an operation that can help alleviate the symptoms of Autism, and there is one South African 12-year-old who has been there and is showing great improvement. We hope to raise funds so that one or two kids can be sent there each year.”
Mayor Dan Plato was invited to the festival on Saturday, which took place at the WA Rossouw Primary School where, incidentally, Plato was a schoolkid.
INSIGHT: Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato, middle in yellow shirt, stands next to WPMA President Anthea Motzemi, Maurice Paige, among others
To spice up his day, he was given a ride in a spin car.
The mayor says: “Ja nee, it was quite something. It was exciting, like being in a Fast and Furious movie. I enjoyed it and will do it again, and especially that this event was for a good cause. These guys and girls are pros behind the wheel.”
Bobby asked the mayor if he was aware of the ongoing push for a dedicated Cape Town Spin pitch. He says: “I am aware of this and do not have clear-cut answers right now. What I can say is that visiting these events gives me an opportunity to see firsthand what they do and how they do it.”
Anthea says: “The search for a dedicated Cape Town Spin pitch has gone on for years, and we were hoping to give the mayor an inside look at what spinning is about.”
Getting the authorities’ support is essential to creating a Cape Spin pitch, and hopefully, the call will be heard even louder.
INSPIRE: Brand ambassador Kaylin Oliphant, 17, of Kimberley
Actor Maurice Paige, who plays Tyron in Suidooster, was there to add flair to the event as well as to help in raising funds, as was brand ambassador Kaylin Oliphant. Kaylin, 17, is living proof that you are never too young to dare.
Anthea says: “This Kimberley girl is synonymous for her rooftop stands and insane jaw-dropping car spinning suicide stunts. Her fan base stretches into Namibia and Botswana where she regularly travels to perform before roaring crowds. She continues to inspire many young women to take up spinning as an activity.”