At the beginning of January 2021, after a year of extreme uncertainty, Comrades Marathon gold medallist Prodigal Khumalo, set out on a 100km journey to raise funds for the construction of a new clubhouse that sought to benefit the lives of his academy athletes from underprivileged communities
The Two-time Ultra-Trail Cape Town winner set out from the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal to Greyville Racecourse in Durban to raise funds for the development of his dream academy facility. Through his unwavering fortitude, Khumalo managed to attract new investors, Terra Analytics, to help make his dream a reality.
Through the timely sponsorship by Terra Analytics, Khumalo was able to successfully construct and unveil the newly built Orcas Academy clubhouse which provided accommodation facilities for his academy athletes to live and train on site. Founded by Khumalo in 2015 and located in Inanda township (Durban) the academy has gained a positive response and support from the local community.
“This is first time we are seeing a club in the province with a proper clubhouse for its athletes. When I started the academy I had a vision of assisting youngsters to be much more in sports” expressed Khumalo.
Khumalo, who plans to focus on coaching when he retires as a professional athlete, is looking to create opportunities through sport for the younger generation so that they do not fall prey to the negative influences that exist in their communities.
Khumalo concluded that he plans on developing his academy into one of the best that the country has to offer and is focused on increasing the available accommodation to house more athletes.
With the continued support of Terra Analytics, it is hard not to see this initiative succeed. In the words of our great Nelson Mandela: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.”