By Thate Msimango
Two-time Comrades Marathon gold medalist Prodigal Khumalo is continuing to use running to inspire the next generation of runners in the township of Inanda, next to Durban.
Khumalo founded the Orcas Academy in 2015 as a December training camp, based in the Inanda Valley, to prepare athletes for the next road running season.
It soon became clear that the initiative was poised for success when the Academy managed to attract 150 members in just its first year of operation. That led Khumalo to officially register the academy as a running club affiliated to the KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) under Athletics South Africa (ASA) in 2018.
Since then, the club has had 10 elite runners, plus three qualified coaches who work side by side with Khumalo to polish the rough diamonds.
Khumalo said his idea was to contribute to changing people’s lives through sports.
“The whole idea was planted for one reason – to assist the young generation of runners to progress in life. We all know how sports can change lives. Not all people are going to make it in life through education.
“Some of us need to use our God-given talent to succeed. I never anticipated seeing the academy grow this much in such a short space of time,” said Khumalo, who runs for Hollywoodbets Athletics Club
Although the Academy does not have a stable sponsor, Khumalo has used donations to survive this far and has seen good results. Last year, he ran 100 km from Hilton in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands to Durban to collect a whopping R100,000, which assisted them in building a shelter, which more than 20 athletes call a clubhouse.
Even this year, on his 40th birthday, he covered 40 km to raise sufficient money for the club to have a 10-seater combi to use when attending events.
With the club having produced Nkosikhona Mhlakwana, who is a Comrades gold medalist, Khumalo predicted that in the next five years they would be number one in the country in terms of churning talent.
“We have 10 elite athletes so far and we want to have more in the future. It is possible if we can get one big sponsor so that money will go towards scouting for more talent across the province, especially in the rural areas.
“The most important thing is to continue to work; that will make people come to assist,” Khumalo added.
Pictured above: Prodigal Khumalo
Image source: @TrailMagazine
