This has been an unusual year in all respects, especially when it comes to our kids. Despite the many challenges though, there have been some students who have managed to go out of their way to make a difference to the lives of others.
Meet three of the North Coast’s brightest young stars…
ROUXLE JOHNSTONE
Grade 10, Ashton International College Ballito
Born in Newcastle, Ashton’s Rouxle is not only a talented sportswoman, having competed in a number of sports provincially and overseas, but she also has an incredibly giving heart. She and her younger brother Duncan, who is in Grade 7, started Ashton Families Who Care (AFWC) at the beginning of lockdown level 5, with the initial goal of putting together care parcels (containing basic food and hygiene products) to feed families of four for a month. “We wanted to put ourselves in the shoes of the less fortunate. The basic necessities and hygiene products were in major demand so we thought, why not be able to say ‘how can we help you?’. We got our parents and cousins involved and met with Ashton heads on 7 April. Three days later the first truck of food arrived at the Grace Hall. My Dad started a further project called “God’s 7 day plan” where we had to raise money to pack 7000 more packs of each item. With God’s grace we achieved this in six days.” Rouxle says reaching their first milestone of R1.9 million and being able to distribute 2500 packs was something she will never forget. “To date we have raised enough money to have been able to pack about 14 400 packs of food.”
Rouxle’s father sadly passed away quite recently and although she is still struggling to get through this time, she is more determined than ever to keep sending out food packages. “I was told by a wise man that before I do anything I should always think to myself ‘what would my dad do?’. This gave my aunt Sarah and I the inspiration to start a Back A Buddy page and reach my dad’s goal of still being able to pack 1000 bags of food a month until February 2021.”
Although she is a passionate and dedicated sportswoman, Rouxle says she realises it’s not realistic to think she can do this and earn a living one day. “I would like to study medicine in South Africa and then move to the UK and specialise in clinical psychiatry. As much as I love helping people physically, I believe your mental health is just as important.”
(Anyone interested in helping Rouxle reach her and her dad’s goal can make a donation https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/rouxle-johnstone or give of their time to help pack food).
ETHAN BOTHA
Grade 11, Curro Mount Richmore
Recently bestowed the ‘man of excellence’ award by his teachers, Ethan is originally from Empangeni but now lives in Ballito. He is one of four children. After spending two years as a boarder at Kearsney College he transferred to Curro Mount Richmore where he is now a Grade 11 pupil.
According to his teachers, Ethan has exhibited exemplary manners and behaviour and shown great leadership qualities as the captain of the 1st rugby team.
In a recent act of kindness, Ethan took off his clothes and loaned them to another pupil so that he wouldn’t miss out on an important event. “My brother Elijah was having his blazer ceremony (a formal assembly where the school welcomes the Grade 8 learners to the high school) and I heard there was a little guy crying in the bathroom having realised he had forgotten his uniform at home. I told him to call the boy and tell him I would loan him mine and sit in the car in my underwear until the ceremony was finished. I have never felt more fulfilled in my life than I did that day. His smile was definitely worth the few hours I spent in my underwear in the car.” Ethan also recently discovered that one of his teacher’s husbands was very ill and he decided to set up a prayer meeting after school one Friday.
About his school Ethan says, “Curro Mount Richmore is a school like none other. The acceptance and approachability of the teachers and students are unlike any school I have ever seen. The school is more like a home with every staff member being a father or mother figure always willing to help and every student like a brother or sister. We may be a small school but we have the most amazing sport coaches. Sport to me is a way to live out who I am. I am an extrovert and love having people around me. Curro Mount Richmore has allowed me to be who I am on the sports field.” Ethan hopes to pursue rugby professionally overseas and study Biokinetics after school. “It is a career where I can help people and I am very passionate about helping people.”
ERRIN MACKRIDGE
Grade 7, Umhlali Preparatory School
Young Errin is a mountain biking rock star. Not only did she win the Spur School Mountain Biking Series for her age category last year, but she also placed fourth in the SA Champs and is currently coaching younger students and encouraging small kids to take up the sport she loves. Errin is in Grade 7 at Umhlali Prep and has two siblings, an older sister, Marryn (15) and a younger brother, Cameron (10).
She is starting high school at Reddam House Ballito next year. When the opportunity presented itself for Errin to use her love and skill for cycling to help raise money for the less fortunate she went for it! As member of the Sugar Rats Cycling Academy racing team and the DriveTrain Academy, as well as co-captain of the Umhlali Prep mountain biking team, Errin took up a challenge to ride 153km on a static bike to raise funds and awareness for local charity organisation, Vision 153, which feeds more than 1500 people on the North Coast every month. “The Vision 153 Pedal For the People fundraiser was a great opportunity for me to help our local community while doing something I love. Although it was really hard, the incredible support from everyone and seeing so many people donate blankets and food etc made it much easier.”
It took Errin four hours and 23 minutes to complete the full 153km and she was the only the only young person who participated in the challenge along with Sugar Rats founders and coaches Gill Von Buddenbrock and Scott Pearmain. Errin hopes to pursue her cycling career when she is finishes school and dreams of becoming a professional mountain biker and to compete in the XCO Mountain Bike World Champ one day. She would also like to study marine biology or dermatology.
