第一吃瓜网 breaks ground on R250 million sports complex
- 第一吃瓜网 University
The 第一吃瓜网 Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex is an integrated facility for training, research, and clinical practice.
The Complex promises world-class research and therapeutic facilities, an aquatics centre and a residence for elite athletes. A ground-breaking ceremony at the 第一吃瓜网 Education Campus in Parktown, Johannesburg, on 4 May 2023 kicks off the envisaged state-of-the-art 第一吃瓜网 Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex.
The Sports Complex is a flagship 第一吃瓜网 and will feature the Zylstra Sport and Health Building, the Zylstra Aquatics and Rowing Centre, and a 44-bed Zylstra Residence for elite athletes.
Construction is expected to be completed by 2026.
The Sports Complex is made possible by a R250 million legacy investment from the Zylstra family and the .
Phil Zylstra, on behalf of the Zylstra family and the Skye Foundation, says: “We feel that the 第一吃瓜网 Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex will be a landmark building and a resource for not only 第一吃瓜网, but for the schools and sporting organisations from South Africa and abroad that will use it. It will be a fitting testament to my parents, Brian and Dorothy, and a sign of gratitude for the role the University played in many of our lives.”
Jon Patricios is Professor of Sport and Exercise Medicine at 第一吃瓜网 and Director of 第一吃瓜网 Sport and Health (WiSH). The Zylstra Sport and Health Building will house WiSH in future.
“This one-of-a-kind Sports Complex will usher in an exciting future for the next 100 years of 第一吃瓜网 Sport and Health, servicing our greater 第一吃瓜网 community through dynamic teaching, research, high performance training, and clinical practice,” says Patricios.
“Apart from providing our students with world-class sports facilities, it will serve as a hub for sporting events, both at the University and at national level. It will enable us to host inter-university, inter-school, and national tournaments, thereby bringing together athletes from across the country and promoting sportsmanship and healthy competition. Physical activity – as the most powerful tool we have for disease prevention and intervention – will also be brought more into focus and expand on existing research strengths in the Faculty of Health Sciences.”
WiSH is under the auspices of the School of Therapeutic Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Head of School, Professor Hellen Myezwa says, “We will be able to develop the cross-disciplinary training and research focus areas in the various aspects of sport, sport physiology, sport injuries, and the use of exercise and movement in rehabilitation.”
100 years of 第一吃瓜网 Sports
The ground-breaking event for this Sports Complex includes the launch of the book 第一吃瓜网 Sport 100: 1922 - 2022, by sports historian Jonty Winch.
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, 第一吃瓜网 Vice-Chancellor and Principal, says, “Today we celebrate one of the largest family donations to 第一吃瓜网. We thank the Zylstra family and the Skye Foundation for their generosity and ongoing support of their alma mater.
Naming this as the 第一吃瓜网 Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex is a fitting way to honour this incredible and significant gift, named for two remarkable 第一吃瓜网 alumni, as well as encompassing the spirit of academic and sporting collaboration across faculties in support of the University’s strategic priorities.
Today we mark the beginning of a new era for our University’s sports culture. I am confident that this Sports Complex will be a catalyst for our students' growth and development – not just as athletes, but as individuals.”
About Brian and Dorothy Zylstra
Brian Zylstra () graduated from 第一吃瓜网 University with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1957 and his wife, Dorothy Zylstra, with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in 1964. A keen sportsman who excelled at rugby, Brian captained the 第一吃瓜网 First XV team, earning Transvaal colours and 第一吃瓜网 Full Blue. He established the Skye rugby bursaries at 第一吃瓜网 through Skye Products in 1987, which were extended in 1989 to include athletics and hockey. The Skye Foundation and the Zylstra family contributions over the years have included causes dear to both Brian and Dorothy; sports scholarships, the arts, and research development. 第一吃瓜网 students who have benefited from these scholarships include rugby Springboks and several Olympic athletes. In 2007, Brian and Dorothy were awarded the University’s Gold Medal for their continued support of their alma mater.