HONOURING A TRUE SOUTH AFRICAN CHAMPION

13 March, Diepsloot. William Mokgopo ready to triumph in 2014 Absa Cape Epic

Pupils and teachers from the Kwena Molapo Secondary School http://www.kwenamolapo.co.za/ in Diepsloot honoured their local champion today, William Mokgopo, in celebration of his attempt to complete his third Absa Cape Epic this month with partner Owen Hannie.

Team Absa member, global mountain bike champion, ambassador for the Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy https://www.facebook.com/DiepslootMTBAcademy (DMBA) and community hero – William has become a mentor, inspiring thousands of disadvantaged youth to dream big.  This young South African grew up with not much more than the cloths on his back, but he was comforted by conviction to become one of South Africa’s epic mountain bike champions.

William’s former principal, Mr T.M Maligana spoke during the special school assembly, held in the athletes honour, about his generous spirit and unwaving determination – even in the face of incredible challenges.  Maligana encouraged his pupils to look for real mentors in their everyday lives and that prosperity was achievable for those that made their dreams a reality by working hard and living with purpose.

The school choir performed for William to inspire him on his epic journey in the Absa Cape Epic, as a member of Team Absa.  William is a young man of few words, but he addressed the eager pupils by saying that his mountain bike journey was only one challenge that he would be taking part in, the second would be to continue to spread the message of the DMBA.

David Wingfield, Head of Marketing at Barclays Africa added, “Each rider of Team Absa 2014 will be riding for the DMBA.  The academy provides a platform to expose the youth of Diepsloot to the sport of mountain biking, to enhance their education through Mathematics and English tuturing, and to impart life skills into a community that is in depserate need of positive social and economic development.”

“For every stage of the Epic that William successfully completes, Absa will donate a sum to the non-profit organisation.  By partnering with the DMBA and walking this road together with them, the fundraising initiatives of Team Absa 2014 will bring hope to the community of Diepsloot and empower the next generation with the skills they need to prosper,” Wingfield concluded.

Follow all the action on @AbsaCapeEpic and @DiepslootMTB and share messages of encouragement by using #Prosper #ProudlyDMA.  You can also follow William on Twitter @WeeleeyumJNR.

About – William ‘Weeleeyum JNR’ Mokgopo is a mountain bike star on the rise.  William has completed the Absa Cape Epic twice (2012, 2013) and recently represented South Africa in the U23 Men’s XC category at the UCI MTB World Championships.

William is currently a student at the University of Pretoria and resides in Garsfontein, but his family is still based in Diepsloot, Johannesburg, where they have been living for the past ten years.

SMS campaign details – the more South African’s donate the greater their chance of winning a Project 1 Trek bike valued at R100 000 as well as an entry into the 2015 Absa Cape Epic race valued at R50 000.  Each SMS will equate to R20 being donated to the Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy with each SMS being charged at standard SMS rates.  The competition runs from 3 February until 30 April 2014 with winners being notified directly by Absa.  Entrants must be eighteen years or older and should have a valid South African identity document. For more information visit website www.cape-epic.com.

Source: Max Cluer Sports Marketing