KNYSNA NEWS - Concordia youngster Ell-Dee Wildeman recently made his family, friends and community extremely proud when he excelled by finishing inside the top five best discus athletes at the SA Schools Athletics Championships.

The championships took place in Germiston from 15 to 18 March and Ell-Dee, 17, qualified for a spot in the competition as a member of the Western Cape team. 

He took part in two different field disciplines - U19 discus and U19 shot-put.

Ell-Dee did well in the shot-put, finishing 10th with a distance of 8,56m, but it was with the discus that he really shone. 

He threw a distance of 29,82m to finish in fifth place overall.

Ell-Dee, who turns 18 on 16 April, is a former Concordia Primary School learner and is in his final year of school at the Olympia School for Skills in George where he continuously excels in his academics and has served as a prefect and deputy head boy of the school.

He had excelled in athletics on a school level, went on to provincial level and earned his spot at the national schools championships. 

Ell-Dee's father, David, is very proud of his son.

"I cannot express just how proud we are of Ell-Dee.

"He worked very hard, and there was so much support from the community, so Ell-Dee's success is felt by us all," he said.

Ell-Dee received a hero's welcome upon his return to Knysna from the national competition, with the community lining the streets in the area of Concordia where he lives.

"We are very thankful for the help that Ell-Dee received from the community. They played such a big role," David said.

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