WHEN Pieter Mouton, an educator at Durban Preparatory High School (DPHS), and Seluleko Ngubane took on last year’s New York Marathon, their mission was simple: to raise funds for a new library at the Ethembeni School for Physically and Visually Impaired Learners in Inchanga.

What they didn’t expect was the overwhelming response of the kindness of strangers from all over the world and The LEARN Project, a local non-profit trust.

Seluleko, who has cerebral palsy and lives in Kwapata near Pietermaritzburg, has been training hard with Pieter on the Durban Promenade for the marathon which courses through the five boroughs of New York City.

Pieter, a Hillcrest resident, explained how the journey came about.

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“In 2018, I used to teach at Ethembeni School which looks after children who are physically disabled and visually impaired. That is where I first met Selu who was a learner at the time, and we quickly formed a bond. The school is situated along the Comrades route which exposes the school to many international runners. This is where the idea of running the New York Marathon formed – and the idea to try to get a child from the school to the USA. It has been in the pipeline since 2020, and the idea was to raise funds for a library for the school.

“After returning from New York at the end of 2023, Selu came to DPHS to chat with the learners about his incredible experience. This is when Roslyn Toerien, who runs The LEARN Project, heard about what we were doing and helped raise funds to build a state-of-the-art library. Our hope was to perhaps get a few books and stands in, but through fundraising, the project blossomed. The most incredible thing is Selu is now employed as the librarian at the school which has brought this full circle,” he said.

Pieter added that their training for this year’s marathon has been going well.

“Selu is quite independent, and he has inspired so many people who see us train on the Durban Promenade. I just help him with a bit of training, but we’ve been so lucky with the people who’ve come forward to help in whatever way they can. People were reaching out to help from near and far. One of our favourite experiences last year when we did the marathon was to be guest speakers at Corlears School in Manhattan, who also assisted in raising funds for the library. Like last year, we’ve been invited to take part in the New York Marathon and will be representing Team Achilles International, who help transform the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programmes and social connection,” the 32-year-old said.

Speaking to Berea Mail, Seluleko said he was excited about this year’s challenge and was looking forward to the crowds cheering his name.

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“I had many new experiences last year: my first time on a plane, my first marathon and my first time overseas. It was an amazing experience, and I wanted to give back to my school which did so much for me. Being cheered on by so many people was incredible and a little overwhelming at times. I can’t wait for this year’s marathon because we are training hard,” he said.

The 21-year-old also revealed some of his favourite snacks on the road.

“Definitely bananas and chocolate, and my favourite drink is Coke and sometimes an Energade,” he said.

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