The highly anticipated documentary filmed in 2021 that is celebrating four rural sport stars from the Eastern Cape who have gone to represent South Africa internationally has been completed and is ready to be aired.
Titled “Rural Diamonds – Small Village, Big Dreams” and partly funded by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) – this documentary traced the upbringing of four carefully selected rural sport stars that included Zanele Vimbela, Zintle Mpupha, Mfuneko Ngam and Lusapho April.
Directed by Bongani Morgan the filming of ‘Rural Diamonds’ looked at what drove these sports stars to succeed, the challenges they faced growing up and talked to the people who discovered and groomed them.
Lusapho April is a long-distance runner from Kariega, who grew up in Addo.
He has gone on to compete at two Olympic Games – 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Games representing South Africa.
He has also competed at numerous international marathons and is a two-time winner of the Two Oceans Half Marathon. April also broke the record at the 2013 Hannover Marathon in Germany.
The documentary about April looks at the lonely sport of long distance running and what motivates an athlete to keep going.
There is also footage filmed at Hogsback and Addo, with interviews with some of the coaches who helped April on his journey. While studying at the University of Fort Hare, he would train in the Hogsback mountains to improve his endurance.
April is concerned about the lack of infrastructure development in his area but most importantly, the lack of facilities for children to train and grow in any sport they want to pursue.
