Test yourself against an SA champ and help special needs children at Crossfit and Obstacle Challenge

YOU don’t have to be super fit to join Vryheid born celebrity athlete, Carina Reingold, at the Crossfit and Obstacle Challenge being held at Natal Spa on April 13.

All you need is a keen sense of fun, good humour, a can do attitude… And a big heart that cares for children with special needs.

The annual Crossfit and Obstacle Challenge is the only fundraising initiative hosted in support of the Wings School in Paulpietersburg for children with special needs.

The school, which celebrates its third birthday this year, is a safe haven for mentally and physically disabled children, where a learning program is uniquely developed to bring out the best in each child according to their individual learning ability.

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It all began with two mothers of children with special needs on a journey to find a special place where their children would not only receive mental and physical stimulation, but also interact with other children and feel like they belong.

Doreen Bohmer and Liska Engelbrecht, who both reside in Paulpietersburg, soon realised that the only way to help their children, and others like them, in an area where resources were scarce, was to establish a facility themselves. Wings School was established in 2016 and registered as a non-profit organisation.

“We do not have any support from government so we depend on the proceeds from this event. We are registered so anyone who makes a donation will be issued with a certificate for a tax rebate. We have eight children enrolled at the school currently and we employ two full time teachers and an assistant,” said Doreen.

“I have a 16-year old son who has the mental capacity of a six-year old boy. He will never be able to leave home, but we want him to know he has a place in the world and we want him to have a place where he feels he belongs. I would love for more people to visit the school and interact with the children. I would really, really love for people to come and support us on April 13. Come and learn what we do. Let the children feel special. Show them that there is a community that cares. Perhaps there are other children living with disabilities who want to join so they can see that they are not alone. This event is not about the school. It’s about the children,” she concluded.

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Carina, who has gained celebrity status as one of the country’s best Obstacle Course Race (OCR) athletes says she decided to champion the cause after, “the children just stole my heart!”

As a former Paulpietersburg resident, Carina feels that this is the perfect opportunity to give back to the community that she still feels is her home.

“I have seen firsthand how much passion the staff and parents who work with the children have. I lobbied for a larger venue to accommodate more participants, especially those who are travelling from out of town and this year’s event promises to be bigger and better before,” begins Carina.

“We didn’t make the course too difficult, so it is possible to compete even if you are a complete novice. Last year, we had a group of women in their 70’s who took part, so all you really need is a good sense of humour. You don’t have to be super fit. There will be prizes for the more competitive individuals, but there will also be team prizes and lucky draws so that everybody feels like a winner. There will also be food stalls at the event and 100% of the proceeds will go to the school.”

The Crossfit and Obstacle Challenge takes place on April 13 at Natal Spa and begins at 9am. Teams of 3 or 4, and individuals, can enter at the cost of R300 per race. Contact Carina on 082 817 4907 or Doreen on 082 611 7617 for more information.

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