
Johannesburg, 27 July 2023 – The 2023 Para Athletics World Championships; that concluded on July 17th at Stade Charléty in Paris, France; produced a blistering *T63 100m sprint performance from Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund beneficiary, Puseletso Mabote.
Mabote; who is a Grade 11 learner at King Edward VII School (KES) in Johannesburg, South Africa that runs with a prosthetic running blade; set a new African record time of 12.26 seconds for fifth place in a race that saw the top five T63 sprinters in a closely contested dash for the finish.
“Coming so close to a podium result is bitter-sweet but, it is a great motivator to keep working hard in the lead-up to next year’s Paralympic Games, which is also the year I graduate from high school. I look forward to the challenge, and I am grateful for the opportunity to chase my athletics and academic goals. I could not do it without the support from The Strenue Trust,” he said after the race.
Mabote is one of six Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund beneficiaries who, apart from having received prosthetic equipment and rehabilitative aid from the Jumping Kids charity, also benefit from financial aid aimed at academics from The Strenue Trust.
The Strenue Trust constitutes that access to quality public education is crucial for continuous, positive, and long-lasting change in South Africa. It applies companies’ B-BBEE spend to provide bursaries and scholarships for talented, previously disadvantaged learners to attend the country’s best state schools; and to help them thrive after school through learnerships, tertiary education opportunities and enterprise development.
“Our partnership with the Jumping Kids Prosthetic Fund is based on the shared belief that equal opportunities in education is key to a more inclusive society. Access to quality education, along with access to sports participation opportunities and, most importantly, access to prosthetic equipment, form the three pillars of the Jumping Kids philosophy. It fits-in perfectly with our vision,” comments Marc Geldenhuys, spokesperson of The Strenue Trust.
In addition to assisting Mabote with an educational bursary to continue to attend KES, The Strenue Trust currently provides bursary assistance to Jumping Kids’ Kananelo Mokhoke (KES), Simnikiwe Bosman (Graeme College), Ukho Handula (Varsity College), Bongani Mahlangu (UNISA), and Kim MacDonald (University of Johannesburg).
“I had financial troubles at the start of year, which directly impacted my studies because I was always worried. When The Strenue Trust reached out to me, I told them my story as straight-forwardly as possible. They offered to help”.
“Now, I don’t have to worry about textbook and other extra fees! Academically, that is a huge relief and I value the support and belief they have in me,” concludes MacDonald; a second year BCom Human Resource Management student and lower limb prosthetic device user.
*Classification T63: T = track, 63 = athlete using a single, above-knee prosthetic device to compete.