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Forget the red carpet — some of Mzansi’s biggest stars will break a sweat this Mandela Day.
Radio host Zanele Potelwa, DJ Supta, actress Khabonina Qubeka and house duo Black Motion are among the 10 celebrities who will join fitness enthusiasts David Foster and Reggie Ayer from Reiger Park, Boksburg, for a 67-minute community bootcamp. This is to help raise support for the pair’s journey to the Deadly Dozen World Championships at London’s Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in September. The inaugural event includes track racing and fitness challenges.
Actor Ayanda Makayi, Skeem Saam star Jerome “Slim” du Plooy, YFM presenter Sizwe M, DJ Voodoo, music group Jamali and actress Lonalinamandla Bawuti are also joining the bootcamp.
Both athletes have spoken openly about growing up in a community affected by violence, gangsterism, drugs and poverty.
“Reiger Park is a place of incredible people, but it can also be a place of immense hardship. We grew up surrounded by violence, drugs, and poverty. For me, losing my father to gun violence was a pivotal moment. Instead of letting it break me, I chose resilience,” Foster told TshisaLIVE.
He said the environment taught him that if you want to change your story, you have to be the one to write it.
“Every rep in the gym is a step away from that past and a step towards a new future.”
Ayer credits his parents’ unwavering support and the discipline he found through fitness for helping him change his life.
“We’re up early, often before the sun, and we finish late. We focus on a mix of everything — strength, endurance, agility, and a lot of mental preparation. My philosophy is ‘Believe. Work. Keep Polishing’. This is the type of discipline that can qualify us for the global stage.
“I am not special. My story is the story of thousands of young South Africans. The only difference is that I made a choice not to let my circumstances write the ending of my story,” Ayer told TshisaLIVE.
The Mandela Day bootcamp takes place from 11am to noon at Ethos in Rosebank on July 18, with proceeds destined to help the pair represent South Africa in London.
TshisaLIVE
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