Morningside Country Club greens come alive for World Down Syndrome Day celebration
The bowls event hosted at Morningside Country Club created a safe space for children and adults with Down syndrome to play and feel included.
A vibrant celebration of inclusion and community unfolded this morning at Morningside Country Club, where children with Down syndrome battled it out on the greens in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day.
The celebration event hosted by My Bowls Academy in partnership with Down Syndrome Association Gauteng and the club brought together children and adults with Down syndrome, along with their families, for a morning of lawn bowls, laughter, and meaningful connection.
The greens were filled with energy as participants of all ages took part in the sport, many trying it for the first time in a relaxed and safe environment.
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My Bowls Academy director, Rob Zimmermann, said the event builds on a similar event hosted late last year.
“We did one a couple of months ago, four months, which was a success, and the kids really enjoyed it. So we decided to make it an ongoing thing,” he said.
“The idea there is to get the affected kids with their spouse and their parents to all be able to do stuff together and have a fun day where there’s no judgment and the rules are really loose so that they can participate.”
While the focus remains on fun and inclusion Zimmermann, said there is also a long-term vision aligned with international sport.
“So, from a World Bowls point of view, World Bowls does have a category for mentally impaired kids. So there is a target goal, but that’s going to take some time to get there.”
“So we just need to be doing this regularly, and then hopefully we’ll get some clubs that will entertain it and some of the districts and get a bigger school, so we’ll work with the Down syndrome institutions and go from strength to strength, so that’s the plan.”
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Down Syndrome Association Gauteng, general manager Jill van der Bijl, emphasised the importance of inclusion in everyday life.
“We are here [Morningside Country Club] today with our beautiful children, but on top of that, we’ve got all the parents and their siblings, aunties, uncles, cousins, whoever wanted to come with, to have an inclusion day for our children to play a game of bowls.”
Van der Bijl shared a personal perspective, speaking about her son Christopher, who actively participates in sports.
“I’ve got a child myself, his name is Christopher, and he is very active. He loves sports, he does swimming, he plays soccer, and he does horse riding.
“He’s a very involved child with sports. But a lot of the children are actually not fit. They basically are put into a room, pushed to the side, and made to feel that they can’t be included in anything because they’re special.”
She added that inclusion is essential for development and confidence.
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“We have to include our children in everyday living. And the more they are put aside, the harder it is for them to actually become involved with everyday people.
“We call them typical people. So we’re a typical person, they’re a special needs person, but at the end of the day, we’re all the same. We all come from the same womb; we just have an extra chromosome, which is chromosome 21. And that’s where the chromosome comes from for Down syndrome.”
@caxtonjoburgnorth Children and adults with Down syndrome took to the greens at Morningside Country Club to celebrate #worlddownsyndromeday💙💛, enjoying a morning of lawn bowls, laughter, and inclusion. Hosted by My Bowls Academy, Morningside Country Club and Down Syndrome Association Gauteng, the event created a safe space for families to connect, have fun, and promote the importance of inclusion in everyday life. Video: Xoliswa Zakwe #caxtonlocalmedia #johannesburg #Sportsnews #Communitynews #Sandton #newsupdate #2026 #Localnews #bowling ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North
She encouraged parents of children with Down syndrome to seek support and guidance.
“My word out here today in a nutshell is, when you have a child with Down syndrome, reach out to somebody, if you’re not sure what to do. Speak to that person, ask them the way forward, what is the way I should go, what school should I go to, how should I handle it, because a lot of people don’t know what to do.
“Down Syndrome Association is here to assist those parents in helping their child to live as normal a life as possible, and to enjoy their life and be included with their family and friends around.”
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