South African athletics icon and businesswoman Elana Meyer tells Ivan Fynn that if you want to be successful you have to stay close to your passion because then work feels like play.

JAG Foundation comes in. The organisation, founded by Greg James, started in the Western Cape in April 2007, expanded to KwaZulu-Natal at the end of last year and, from 12 August, will operate in Gauteng.

JAG employs four full-time staff –

Apart from Meyer, That’s where the

three programme managers and an events manager. The Sagitta Group, a private equity company, provides office space and expertise in finance and marketing.

today, especially in South African townships. Alcohol and drug abuse is

‘It’s tough for kids

rife, and there is a lot of peer pressure to belong to a gang. The JAG Foundation strives to offer an alternative. The biggest challenge is to get kids to look at the world differently,’ says Meyer. ‘Education was always part of my reference but for a lot of children it’s not. So part of what we’re doing through the programme is getting kids to value

education. Sport is great and you can learn through that but you have to value education.’

The coaches play an important role, particularly as much of JAG’s work takes place in communities lacking in father figures. As a result, coaches often take on the role of coach,

August 2011 | Management Today 15

Photograph credit www.oakpics.com