IRONMAN Foundation donates 49 bicycles to Anna Foundation | #wineforgood
- Wine.co.za
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Wine.co.za
IRONMAN Foundation's donation to the Anna Foundation gives hundreds of rural children a chance to take up cycling.
More than 800 rural children in the Cape Winelands will soon have the chance to take up cycling, thanks to a bicycle donation from the IRONMAN Foundation in collaboration with the Absa Cape Epic and Avalanche Bicycles. The organisation handed over 49 bicycles to the Anna Foundation at the Polkadraai Bike Park on 13 March, marking a significant boost for youth sport development in farming communities.
“This donation will give our 850 learners at 22 different projects their first taste of the cycling world, aligning perfectly with our 3Rs programme – Reading, Running, Right-ing… and Riding! Cycling builds confidence, discipline and resilience, and for many of these children, it will be their first opportunity to experience the sport,” says Anna Brom, director and founder of the Anna Foundation.
On the day of the bicycle handover at Polkadraai Bike Park, 28 children from the Anna Foundation’s aftercare projects at Neethlingshof, Waterford Estate, and Devonvalley Primary School had the opportunity to try out the new bicycles on the park’s tracks. The well-maintained dirt tracks and technical features provided a fun yet challenging environment for the learners to test their skills and experience the thrill of mountain biking.
Jayceon Daniels (7), a learner from the Anna Foundation afterschool project at Waterford Estate, learnt to ride a bicycle on the day of the biking event.
“I’m tired, but I’m so excited to be able to ride a bicycle now,” says Daniels.
The bicycle donation came at a particularly special time, as the Anna Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Brom established the Foundation in 2005 when she saw the urgent need for literacy and educational support while volunteering at a rural school in Mpumalanga. She began by offering English classes to learners and introduced a library-in-a-box system, giving children their first experience of reading their own books.
Recognising the lack of sports facilities, she also started a running group, which later evolved into the 3Rs Programme – Reading, Running and Right-ing. The 4th R: Riding, was added a few years later when the Foundation partnered with organisations such as the Absa Cape Epic to bring cycling to rural communities.
With cycling now playing an important role in the Anna Foundation’s sport programme, the new bicycles are set to make a significant impact. Some of the Foundation’s children have already shown exceptional talent in mountain biking, and with the right support, they could go on to compete at a higher level.
“The bikes will be shared across our 22 projects, offering children the opportunity to discover the positive impact cycling can have on their physical and mental well-being,” adds Brom.
The event brought together key figures in the sporting world, including Audra Tassone-Indeck, Executive Director of the IRONMAN Foundation, Jonathan Meintjes,Head of Mountain Biking for Epic Series, and mountain biking champion Hans Becking, who finished in third place at the Absa Cape Epic last year.
“Today was amazing and the IRONMAN Foundation is so grateful to give back to the children. Seeing the excitement on their faces and just letting them be kids and ride their bikes was incredible,” says Tassone-Indeck.
Becking, a Dutch multiple-time national mountain bike champion, with a natural leadership style and passion for sharing his love of cycling with kids, was a true inspiration to the children.
“I remember when I got my first bike and how it motivated me and changed my life. So, I hope today we could change some lives of some kids,” says Becking.
“It was amazing to ride on the bike track with Hans Becking! The hills were big, but we smashed them. This is the first time I’ve ridden on such a nice track, and I even made some jumps,” says Keithlin Valentine (13), a learner from the Anna Foundation afterschool project at Waterford Estate.
Becking wore the yellow jersey for three days during the 2024 Absa Cape Epic and is a five-time stage winner, but he had to withdraw from the 2025 race after struggling with illness during crucial pre-season training months.
“Cycling has shaped who I am, not just through winning or racing, but through resilience, friendship, and the unwavering support that defines the sport. It has taught me to push forward, no matter what, to trust the process, and to believe that hard work and dedication always pays off,” adds Becking.
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