Ethan Keesch from the St Joseph’s Home for chronically ill children in Montana, near Gugulethu, always knew his destiny involved basketball. But the 15-year-old boy’s dreams of playing professionally ground to a halt when he suffered a serious spinal injury.
That was, until he discovered wheelchair basketball and on Saturday May 21, he got to play ball with members of the national wheelchair basketball team at Battery Park, at the V&A Waterfront. The initiative was organised by the Reach for a Dream Foundation.
The boy hit the ground running, rushed to try to get settled in with the national team and later bounced around from side to side, smiling with the new teammates. “I have always wanted to be around the Wheelchair Basketball national team,” he told Vukani.
Ethan is originally from Malmesbury where basketball does not have the same status as sports like rugby, soccer and hockey.
Reach for a Dream volunteer Esme Oates said she was excited to have helped to fulfil Ethan’s dream.
“He just loves to play basketball that is why we have arranged this day for him. It is just a wonderful day. He was very shy and introverted but looking at him today, playing with a team, it is amazing how he changed and how he is just loving it and full of smiles,” she said.
Wheelchair Bastketball South Africa (WBSA) president Craig Moorgas was equally elated. He said when Dream for Dream asked, they saw an opportunity to come down and showcase the sport. He added that he was happy that wheelchair basketball was growing in the country and wished Ethan well.
To top it all off, WBSA presented Ethan with his own team kit.