Oliver’s 10th birthday at age 40: A leap year’s tale
Are you curious to know why Oliver Naiker doesn’t celebrate his birthday on the same day every year?
February was a month of celebration for the Naiker family in Marlboro, whose middle son Oliver (40) had his birthday on leap day. Oliver, much to his family’s delight, has also completed his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Nexford University in Washington, DC.
This year marked Oliver’s (affectionately known as Ollie) 10th birthday in his 40 years on planet Earth because his birth date only falls once every four years. In most years, he gets the benefit of choosing which day he celebrates, February 28 or March 1.
“You hardly meet people that are born in a leap year. Throughout my life, I have only met one.” Oliver reflected. “Now, at work, I have met two other people who were born in a leap year.”
Oliver’s father, Phillip Naiker, said, “I was talking to Oliver, every time we see the Sandton Chronicle, they’re putting in photos of people who are studying and doing so well,” Naiker said. “The thing I must say is that when they were growing up as children, we never had to push them to study; they did it on their own; they went to varsity, obtained their degrees and they’re still studying.”
He said his son’s journey to completing his MBA online had taken him two years. “Graduation is actually in the United States of America in June. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make it for the actual graduation ceremony.” Oliver started his degree in February 2022 and finished it this year. He plans to take a small break before he starts his PhD.
Ollie is the proud dad to a 15-year-old daughter. He also joked by thanking people who consistently remember what day of the year he was born.
“Lots of people wish me a happy birthday on the 28th, but they still call me on the first. On the day I was born, I was born at 22:00. They took a picture of all the leap-year babies, but they just missed me and my mom.”
His mom Angie also had a few words to say about her son, whom she was expecting to be born later than his date of birth.
“We were expecting him way later, somewhere around March 10; he was born February 29 at 21:50,” Naicker said. “I’m very proud of him.”
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