Amanzimtoti bodyboarder finds peace among the waves
A local bodyboarder has set his sights on taking on the best junior bodyboarders in the country at an upcoming championship in Durban.
ALREADY racking up title upon title in bodyboarding is Leo Molligan. The 15-year-old Amanzimtoti resident is set to take on the best junior bodyboarders in the country at the SA Bodyboarding Championships in Durban from October 5-10.
The Kuswag Skool learner got into bodyboarding at the age of seven, having fun in the ocean with his friends.
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“I was around 12 when I started to take the sport more seriously. At 13, I went into my first South African Bodyboarding Championships, and I won it that year,” said Leo.
He won it again last year, and currently holds the honour of being ranked number one in South Africa in the boys division, and number one in the province.
“I got into bodyboarding because it brings me peace. It is fun surfing in the water, spotting fish ever so often. My favourite wave is at Baggies (Warner) Beach. It’s a perfect right-hander on the sandbank and when the conditions are great, it almost feels like a skate park,” said Leo.
He explained that the sport is quite big, yet still flies under the radar compared to surfing. While surfers stand up on their boards, bodyboarders lie down.
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Leo is also a rugby player, playing for Amanzimtoti Rugby Club’s U16 team, as well as for Kuswag Skool’s first team.
To maintain his physique, Leo typically does stretches and thereafter goes for a run on the beach. He enjoys sitting by the beach, watching the waves and listening to music to mentally prepare for competition.
Leo is looking for sponsors to help him take on this year’s SA Bodyboarding Championships. He is halfway through his goal of raising R8000, which will fund his needs to compete – a pair of fins, a bodyboard bag and accommodation for the five-day competition.
Should you wish to assist Leo, use the following banking details:
Account holder: Leo Molligan, ABSA account number: 9393393957. For more information, contact his father, Rashaad Molligan on 061 601 0226.
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