Latest news with #Danté
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Springs MMA youngster named SA champion at just 10 years old
At just 10 years old, Danté de Beer from Springs has claimed the title of South African MMA champion after competing in the SA MMA Nationals held in Greyville, KwaZulu-Natal. Representing his local club, House of Tinkerbell, the young athlete proudly took home the gold medal. His father, Juan de Beer, recalled the thrilling moment when Danté clinched victory. 'I was incredibly nervous during one of his final fights. My hands were shaking. I knew every single move in that ring could determine the outcome. Just seconds after the fight began, his opponent made a small mistake, and Danté immediately saw the opening,' Juan said. A rush of excitement surged through Juan as he watched his son execute a rear naked choke. At that moment, he knew Danté was going to win. 'My hands were shaking so much that when his opponent finally tapped out, I forgot I was recording a video and didn't capture the moment. That memory will stay with me forever. The moment my son showed true skill, focus, and heart in the ring,' he added. Danté's victory earned him a spot to represent the national team in Dubai. Unfortunately, he was unable to travel with the SA team to the UAE World Championships due to not having a passport yet. 'After winning his nationals fight, I asked him if he knew what happened next. He simply said, 'I won the tournament and got gold.' I looked at him and said, 'No, my boy, you're the SA Champion in your category.' 'That's when the reality hit him. His eyes welled up with tears as he realised the full meaning of what he had accomplished that day,' Juan shared. Danté first joined House of Tinkerbell after his parents saw an advertisement promoting anti-bullying classes. They wanted him to learn self-defence. His coaches, JP Kruger and Gift 'The Day' Walker, encouraged him to try a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournament, where he won his first gold medal at the age of eight. 'That moment changed everything. His mindset completely shifted. He became more focused, more competitive, and truly fell in love with the sport,' said Juan. Despite his early success, Danté remains humble and grounded, described by his father as a busybody by nature. Danté cites rugby star Cheslin Kolbe and his coaches as role models who continue to teach him valuable life lessons. JP Kruger expressed pride in Danté's achievements: 'We are so proud of him. Jesus gets all the glory for everything great that happens from our gym.' Looking ahead, Danté's goal is to compete at the nationals again next year for another chance to represent South Africa. 'With his dedication, heart, and discipline, we have no doubt he will make his parents, coaches, and country incredibly proud,' Juan concluded. ALSO CHECK: Applying for 2026 Grade 1 or 8 in Gauteng? Here's what you'll need ALSO CHECK: Emergency services on high alert as bitter cold hits: Here's how to stay warm safely At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'I see you': The Romford campaigner getting black men talking
A campaigner has started a movement to get black men to talk openly about their experiences with trauma. Peter Reeves, 44, from Romford, began the group NINE - or "A Nod is Not Enough" - to help men move on from what he felt was a simple nod of acknowledgement in the now has about 30 members from across Essex and London, between the ages of 20 and 60, who chat on a WhatsApp group, with meetings planning in the coming Reeves said: "Black men don't talk enough but when we see each other in the street - even if we are strangers we will probably give each other a nod. When you see another black man you usually just give them a nod just to say 'I see you'." He added: "Just out of the recognition of the oppression and issues that each of us must have suffered from in our lives just by being a black man." Mr Reeves and his partner Gina lost their son Danté to stillbirth in 2022. The British-Caribbean parents organised talks and mindfulness walks since the loss of their child in order to get the community said black men "need to go a step beyond" the nod in the street and said he believed talking was "empowering"."We don't talk about our emotions and that's only holding us back," he said. He said generational trauma of slavery was often used to blame for the silence found in the community."It's not a new thing and it is not shame, it's more that we have been conditioned to be like this," he in other cultures often thrived from talking to their peers, he added, but black British men were four times more likely to be hospitalised than white men for poor mental were also less likely to seek help before reaching crisis point and were three times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, according to the charity MIND. A spokesperson from Young Minds said black men were often told to "be a man" so were conditioned not to show any signs of weakness from a young of Cambridge has worked with The Voice, Britain's only national newspaper for black communities, to survey 10,000 black people in Britain. The study said 68% of respondents, or a family member, had suffered from mental health problems, and 87% said black families did not discuss mental health enough, including generational issues. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
