The ACP, inaugurated in the country in 2013, was hosted by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and E for Exec, a professional human resources services firm. 

Beginning in 2005 in partnership with recruitment specialists Adecco, the International Olympic Commitee's ACP provides support to elite athletes in the areas of education, life skills and employment.

It is viewed as a key stand of the focus to inspire more young people to take up sport, with an aim to facilitate education as well as job opportunities for athletes during and after their sporting careers.

Among the wide array of athletes at the event were Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games gold-medal winning judoka Zack Piontek and Oswald Kydd, a Para-triathlon World Championship winner. 

"The session was successful in that it taught the athletes how to focus on their sporting careers now, and also gave them guidelines on what they have to start doing to get ready for life after professional sport," said Yoliswa Lumka, SASCOC team preparation and academy manager.

"The diverse nature of this group made the session even more valuable as they could learn from athletes of different codes, who sometimes face different challenges."

The athletes discussed a number of topics during the session and were involved in various team and individual activities.

Para-triathlete Oswald Kydd was full of praise for the Athletes Career Programme
©Getty Images




"This experience was exactly what we sports persons need," said Piontek.

"Sometimes we know where we are going but only to a certain extent and it is only limited to sport.

"This experience will help us moving forward to realise all the possibilities and more importantly, how to approach them."

Kydd added: "The Athletes Career Programme is very informative and educative.

"It opens up athletes' scope of what they will do after their sports career.

"For the younger athletes who have no work experience, this workshop has laid down the appropriate measures to take and encouraged them to look further and start preparing for their careers after sport."

Joining Piontek and Kydd were Glasgow 2014 bronze medal-winning judoka Siyabulela Mabulu and wrestler Mpho Madi, as well as Johan Cronje, 1500 metres bronze medallist at the 2013 World Athletics Championships, cyclist Bernard Esterhuizen, a former junior world 1,000m gold medallist, Samantha McIntosh, bronze medallist in the team equestrian competition at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games, Von Zeuner Kohne, a multiple World Cup medallist in shooting, and gymnasts Grace Legote and Kirsten Beckett.

Fanie van der Merwe delivered the opening speech at the event ©Getty Images





"As an athlete you overcome a lot of challenges which makes it easier for you to be employable," said Fanie van der Merwe, a two-time Paralympian who won gold in the T37 100m event at London 2012, in the opening speech. 

"As athletes, time management is a very significant attribute, which similarly, is required in the work place as well.

"I studied a BA in Sport Science Degree and currently I'm a coach, which will make it easier for me to pursue my career after I retire in sport.

"We all have talents so let's use them to create or advance our careers after sport."

E for Exec managing director, Tracy Hardy added: "Transitioning from one position to another in life is difficult for most, but for an athlete the transition from sport to work is considered to be so vast and intimidating.

"Through the E4E ACP, athletes realise they have an abundance of competencies and traits that are easily transferrable from sport to work as we know it, and this helps to not only ease the apprehension as to their future, but arms them with the skills and abilities to maximise their employment opportunities."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
July 2014: Lima to host 2015 IOC Athlete Career Programme Forum