46 THE AMOS BURSARY 2021 IMPACT REPORT
The cat’s out the bag In December 2021 international footballer and Liverpool FC forward Sadio Mané donated 50 new pairs of New Balance footwear to AMOS students in support of the work of the Amos Bursary is doing and the impact we are making in the lives of young Black men and women. Sport specific footwear was provided with some students receiving football boots, basketball boots or running trainers. The students were extremely grateful and an e-book of thank you messages were sent to Sadio.
The messages You have donated so much more than sporting footwear to us... you have given us the gift of physical exercise, mental agility and the knowledge that role models in our community (particularly living sporting legends) are thinking of us. We appreciate you. Recently I decided I wanted to get back into running to push myself out of my comfort zone and inspire the people around me. I’d usually post a short message on my snapchat or instagram on my runs as words of encouragement. Unfortunately, I had to stop because my footwear wasn’t suitable for running for extensive periods and caused an injury in my knee which I am soon to fully recover from. The gift will help me get back into running safely so I can continue to share positive messages of encouragement on my social media while on my runs. The trainers are so important to me because as a budding athlete and football coach myself it’s essential I go to the gym and workout. I go to the gym four times a week and coach football every week. However, I sadly haven’t had the finances with university expenses and bills been able to purchase a pair of gym trainers which would be so important for someone who attends gym religiously. As a huge fun of New Balance, these trainers would go a long way in my continued commitment to the gym and my work as a football coach. I believe I would put these shoes to good use and cherish the gifting of the shoes from someone who believes in the Amos busary just as much as I do. AMOS Scholars
