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A DREAM COME TRUE
UWC alumna Kayla Richards’ realises her Olympic dream
By Skhu Nkomphela
On writing, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are only a few days away but for the University of the Western Cape (UWC) alumna Kayla Richards, it’s still surreal that she’ll be part of the world’s biggest sporting spectacle, having been confirmed as a member of Team South Africa.
The 28-year-old formed part of the medical staff for South Africa, serving as a physiotherapist at the Olympics for the first time. At the Games, she worked with the hockey, judo and athletics teams.
“My dream of going to the Olympic Games has been with me ever since I was lucky enough to be introduced to sports physiotherapy through UWC,” Richards says. “It took a while for it to sink in and to realise that this is actually happening. Honestly, I didn’t think it would take place when the Olympic Games were postponed last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s an honour and a privilege to get to showcase your craft amongst the cream of the crop of athletes from around the globe. I can only grow and progress from this point onwards as I’m not only representing my country, South Africa, but also my family, my community and the many girls who are yet to achieve their dreams.”
Born and raised in Lotus River, Cape Town, Richards moved to Johannesburg after graduating from UWC with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Physiotherapy in 2015. At UWC, Richards played centreback for UWC’s women’s football team, aka UWC Ladies FC, from 2012 to 2015. She was part of a successful cohort that won the 2013 Coca-Cola Cup and were runners-up in the 2015 Varsity Football competition. She also received a bronze medal at the 2014 University Sport South Africa (USSA) Club Championships, after winning the Sasol League Western Cape in that same year.
“My passion for sports sparked my interest in being a physio. During my teen years at the national football academy, I always said I wanted to be that person running onto the field. Once I matriculated, my journey started,” she recalled.
Four years later, after graduating from UWC, she opened her own mobile physiotherapy practice called Physio on the MOVE. The practice is based in Johannesburg but Richards has a dream to expand it to other provinces.
Her journey to the pinnacle of her profession — representing the South African Olympics team — has not been easy. She started at the lowest level of local sport and went on to provide her services to USSA and other universities.
“I started dreaming bigger and bolder, and now I’m seeing the fruits of that labour,” she says. “I have a task that I set out and need to do, one that I promised to the Lotus River people, to myself and to my family. I will do whatever I can to accomplish it.”
With her Olympic dream now a reality, Richards reveals that the call-up to be part of the South African team was emotional and she’s vowed to give her utmost to South Africa and to support the team wherever possible.
