From coaches to surfers to CEOs (and more), the Western Cape’s women in sport shone bright at the 15th edition of the longest-running official women’s sports awards in South Africa, the prestigious Momentum GSport 4 Girls Awards.

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has twice been nominated for Best Coach at the prestigious Momentum GSport 4 Girls Awards – Africa’s only official national women’s sport awards. And on Monday, the third time became the charm.

“This shows that Banyana Banyana is on the right track,” she said. “It shows that the effort put in by the players, the technical staff and the rest of the staff have paid off. And it shows that when the team does well, individuals get rewarded – and I’m just blessed that I’m one of those individuals. This award is for them, and for all those other coaches in our SA leagues – this is for their contribution as well.” 

Desiree Ellis grew up in Salt River in the 1970s. There were no women’s clubs back then and she played soccer with boys and her cousins. After school she’d drop her school bag, change her clothes and run outside to her waiting teammates. During her club career she played as a midfielder for Spurs Ladies FC among other teams. She never dreamed she’d become a coach, or a founding member of the South Africa women’s national football team.

Image: gsport.co.za

Ellis has led the women’s national soccer team to their first ever FIFA Womens World Cup and a hat trick of COSAFA victories, and she’s the two-time Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Coach of the Year Awards Winner.

This year marked the 15th edition of the longest-running women’s sports awards in South Africa, and Africa’s only official national women’s sport Awards – and honoured athletes and women in sport across all disciplines and tiers.

“For the second year,  our sponsors, Momentum, are encouraging us to boldly own out success as women in sport,” said event founder and originator Kass Naidoo. “This has been the biggest operation by GSport to unearth role models in women’s sport – and I’m so heartened to see our winners tonight courageously take up that challenge.”

This prestigious recognition platform has been endorsed by the Department of Sport, Arts & Culture since 2015 and this partnership makes an invaluable contribution towards generational equality each year.

“The overarching objective of this prestigious Gsport Awards programme is to celebrate the role women play across the entire value chain of sport,” said DSAC Minister Nathi Mthethwa. “We firmly believe that these awards serve to inspire women to reach greater heights, and also serve to inspire the next generation of young women who have dreams of being the next Castor Semenyas, the next Desiree Ellises and so on.”

Several of those next Desiree Ellises honoured, like Ellis herself, included women with strong links to the Cape, including…

Special Recognition: Elizabeth Cameron Smith, Mother Of Gymnastics

Elizabeth Smith, considered by most to be the ‘mother of Gymnastics in South Africa’, has been involved in the sport for over 50 years, initially in the capacity as coach, judge, technical official and then administrator, marketer and more.  She progressed up the ranks to the position of CEO and President (from which she recently-retired ).  During this time the South African Gymnastics Federation grew from four disciplines to nine, and joined the international gymnastics federation. 

“It’s been a 52-year journey – and from the very first day that I was involved with gymnastics, I was very, very fortunate to have many opportunities, and many mentors who helped me develop, and led the way for me,” Smith recalled. “And I’ve tried to make sure that other women have had the same opportunities; to create a structure for women, to instill confidence in them. I believe if they’ve got confidence, they could fulfill their full potential.”

Minister’s Recognition of Excellence: Rene Naylor, World Cup Rugby Physiotherapist

Springbok physiotherapist @Rene_Naylor has a BSc degree in Physiotherapy from the University of the Western Cape, a postgraduate degree in Sports Physiotherapy from the University of Cape Town, and over 20 years of experience as a sports physio. In 2008 Naylor  was appointed Head Physiotherapist of the Springboks, and in 2019 she was on the team that helped South Africa win the Rugby World Cup in style.

Image: gsport.co.za

Naylor thanked her supporters, and especially her parents for making her believe she could be a success. “My journey is not that different to many amazing South African women who’ve had a tough time getting involved in sport,” she said. “But our journey is not over. I think we have a responsibility to amplify the stories of other women – to not only inspire and support women in sport in South Africa, but also to invest in them.”

Woman In Social Media: Jo Prins, Netball Influencer

Varsity Netballer, Stellenbosch University graduate and 2019 Maties Sportswoman of the Year still maintains international ambitions in the sport she loves. But she’s found something she loves even more: as a Premier League netball ambassador, she uses her social media influence as @jolovingU to promote the value and tell the story of netball in South Africa, while creating awareness around everyday issues affecting women and girls.

“ Social media is something you use to build your brand – but it’s also something that gives you a voice and an influence. I use mine to inspire young girls, and show them that you can be much more than just an athlete,” she said. “I want every young girl to know that her voice can change the world. There is no limit to what we as women can achieve, especially together.”

Minister’s Recognition of Excellence: Noluthando Makalima, Adaptive Surfing Champ 

Khayelitsha-based 31-year-old Noluthando Makalima has been surfing since 2014, but only competed in her first local competition in May last year where she won a gold medal in the AS5 Women’s Division. Adaptive surfing allows disabled athletes (Makalima has cerebral palsy) to compete against and alongside able-bodied athletes. Makalima almost didn’t make it to the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Adaptive Surfing Championships in California – but she did, and returned in March ranked No.2 in the world.

“I would love to say thank you to God for this day,” she said. “This means a lot to me, and it’s a day I’ll never forget. And I’d like to say thank you to Momentum, to GSport, and to my family and my child. To all my supporters, everybody who was there for me. This is for you.” 

Minister’s Recognition of Excellence: Laura Wolvaardt, Cricketing Legend 

Laura Wolvaardt was selected to play for the Western Province U-19 girls’ team when she was eight. She  was invited to play for a South Africa Women’s U-19 invitational team when she was 13. She’s since represented her country in Women’s One Day International cricket, became the youngest centurion, male or female, for South Africa in international cricket, and was included in the ICC t20 World Cup team of the year. In July 2020, she was named South Africa’s Women’s Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa’s annual awards ceremony.

“This is so special for me – and to receive it from the Deputy Minister herself, who was actually at the world cup supporting us, is so very special,” she said. “And just to be recognized alongside my teammates – a team who are brave, fierce, determined; an amazing group of girls. To receive this award is such a huge honour for me.”

Of course, it’s not just the Western Cape that owned its success at the awards – there were amazing sporting women and women in sport from all provinces, all walks of life and all tiers of sporting excellence.

The full list of winners includes…