KZN's Reece Smith giving the disabled a reason to smile
Reece Smith has devoting his voice to helping the disabled community experience one of nature's greatest joys, the ocean.
KZN father and son duo, Reece and Wesley Smith, are making waves with their amazing initiative, Wheels on Waves.
The two started their initiatives shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic. They were motivated to start the project after acknowledging the beach as one of the most popular tourist attractions, not just for Durban, but for South Africa.
Bearing that in mind, they considered the lack of accessibility to the beach for the disabled community. This posed a problem and motivated them to bring the disabled community to the beach.
When asked about the help they require, Reece said, " All we need is just more people to spread the word of what we're doing at Wheels and Waves."
Helping someone surpass their disability and getting them to do something they thought they couldn't do. That's exactly what we aspire to do at Wheels and Waves: to ensure that the disabled have as much fun as they can and do things they think they can't. And to put smiles back on the disabled's faces.
This dynamic duo aims to continue their work on Amazimtoti Beach, a beach that allows the disabled community to feel fully catered for.
Experiencing the beach is underappreciated by many South Africans who have it at their doorstep. Not only is it taken for granted, but it is also neglected and polluted by many beachgoers. The beach may stand for fun in the sand and summer time partying, but it is also home to many sea creatures and should be nourished and nurtured in the best ways possible.
It's a privilege in itself to just go down and enjoy the sand in your toes, enjoy the waves crashing into you. People out there need to be more aware that polluting the beaches and oceans doesn't help. This is not just for the ocean and marine life, but also for tourism in South Africa.
It is clear that helping maintain one of nature's most abundant natural attractions is a top priority for the Smiths, and rightfully so.
They recently won the Durban Tourism Business Award for "making Amanzimtoti Beach universally accessible in the Universal Accessibility/Sustainable Tourism Category," reports the Good Things Guy.
"Just to be nominated is an honour in itself, but to actually win an award was truly an honour", said Reece.
The Smiths have undertaken a big task, wanting to enforce safe accessibility to the disabled community, which is no easy feat but brings a world of smiles and learning for KZN.
Check out Reece during his first sardine experience earlier this month, courtesy of Facebook.
He ended in the most inspiring way. We asked him to share an inspiring quote that helps him stay motivated, and he left us with goosebumps: " It doesn't matter if you can't walk; you can still fly," said Reece.
These are words that his dad shared with him. Reece shared how these words encapsulated "the disabled and their lives."
He said, " Even if you can't walk, you can still do things in life. You can still aspire to achieve greatness and, uh, no matter what your disability is, if you strive to do whatever you aspire to do in life, you can achieve it."
You just have to have that termination and that grit to wanting to do it. And even though you have a disability. Nothing is stopping you at the end of the day.
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