20 quickfire questions with ... Bryan Habana

TODAY: Former Springbok legend ... BRYAN HABANA

Habana became the 69th member of the Laureus World Sports Academy when he was inducted at the 2020 Laureus World Sports Awards in February.

1. Nickname/s: Dash, Smiling Assassin, Jet Shoes... more recently though: “He-wishes-he-had-Cheslin Kolbe’s-step”

2. Greatest sporting moment that you can recall (in general): 2019 Rugby World Cup final

3. Childhood sporting hero: Jonty Rhodes

4. Greatest sporting moment personally: Making my Springbok debut

5. Game or sporting event that you could watch on repeat: Second Test of the 2009 British & Irish Lions series

6. Sea or river: Sea

7. Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla

8. Favourite holiday destination: Anywhere with my wife and boys

9. Banana or pineapple on a pizza: Pineapple

10. What would your last meal be: A spitbraai

11. Favourite superhero and why: Ironman - over and above his superhero powers stemming from his own scientific genius, he is extremely entrepreneurial, sassy, quick-witted and yet has a sense of vulnerability too

12. If a movie was made about your life who would play you: Trevor Noah

13. 3 things you would want with you on a desert island: My family, a satellite phone and a boat :)

14. Current series addiction: The Good Doctor

15. Do you have a favourite joke: “My wife accused me of being immature. I told her to get out of my fort."

16. Best piece of advice you have ever received: Read as much as possible

17. Hobby: Golf

18. How does Sport for Good relate to you: For me, sport has impacted my life far beyond my wildest dreams and Sport for Good relates to me as it offers me the ability to use the platform that sport has given me to give back, inspire and hopefully make a difference in people’s live in some way or another

19. Laureus programme that you have interacted with, and what they do: I have been extremely fortunate to interact with many brilliant Laureus programmes around the world but the below programmes have left lasting memories:

Play Rugby USA - they use the unique power of rugby to empower and inspire youth, primarily from underserved communities, to go forward and realise their true potential

Waves for Change - provides a child-friendly mental health service to at-risk youth living in unstable communities. Through access to safe spaces, caring mentors, and a provision of weekly Surf Therapy sessions, W4C gives children skills to cope with stress, regulate behaviour, build healing relationships, and make positive life choices

CoolPlay - is a South African NGO that integrates valuable life skills into sports training sessions. Our aim is to achieve transformation of young individual

LIV Village - LIV exists to raise the next generation of leaders in our nation. Our mission, purpose and passion is to place vulnerable, parentless children into a family environment where they receive unconditional love, spiritual discipleship, care and nurturing and where all their physical needs are taken care of. We want to equip these children with essential moral values and life skills in order that they truly can live lives that will influence and inspire others

20. What are you and/or your family doing over this time to ensure you keep mentally and physically healthy? We’re fortunate enough to have a garden and a bit of space, so we’re doing some home-schooling in the morning followed by lots of playtime (anything from soccer to badminton to building lego and painting), some running and exercising together (which mostly involves me using the kids as weights). I am also working remotely for two companies that I am currently involved with which sees me doing a number of conference calls throughout the day

Who is Laureus?

Laureus is a global movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good. The first Patron of Laureus was Nelson Mandela. At the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000, President Mandela said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers.”

This has become the philosophy of Laureus, the driving belief behind all they do.

Laureus combines Laureus Sport for Good, the Laureus World Sports Academy and Ambassadors Programme and the Laureus World Sports Awards to form a unique organisation that uses the inspirational power of sport as a force for good.

Laureus Sport for Good South Africa

The Laureus Sport For Good Foundation Trust South Africa is a local chapter of the Laureus Sport For Good Foundation. Launched in 2002, SA was the first regional office to be established by Laureus International.

What is the Laureus Sport For Good vision? “Using the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage. Proving that sport can change the world”.  The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa supports over 30 projects nationwide. Every programme supported addresses at least one of the following six social issues, which are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: 

• Health: Enhancing mental wellbeing and encouraging healthy behaviour change

• Education: Increased access to and completion of education

• Women and Girls: Promoting equality, empowerment and safety

• Employability: Developing skills and creating pathways to employment

• Inclusive Society: Creating communities which embrace ethnic, cultural and physical differences

• Peaceful Society: Resolving conflict, promoting community peace-building and creating safe spaces

For more information: https://www.laureus.co.za/