When 16-year-old Tahlia Moyore Ayandare stepped onto the clay courts of the ITF Junior Circuit in Kenya final July, she didn’t anticipate her tennis journey to spark a motion.
The British-Nigerian teen from Essex, UK, observed one thing that tugged at her coronary heart — many younger African gamers didn’t have correct footwear.
Some performed in worn-out pairs, others barefoot, and even second-hand sneakers bought on the venue had been too costly for many.
“It was a wake-up name,” Tahlia informed Sports247 in Lagos throughout the ICT Junior Lagos Leg. “I noticed how tough it was for some youngsters to even get footwear to play. After I obtained again to England, I knew I needed to do one thing.”
That “one thing” turned Pair It Ahead — a grassroots charity initiative that collects and donates tennis footwear to underprivileged younger gamers in Africa.
Tahlia launched a GoFundMe marketing campaign, rallied her buddies, and inspired individuals to donate each new and gently used footwear.
With the funds raised, she purchased recent pairs and shipped them, alongside donated ones, to Kenya and Nigeria.
The outcome? Dozens of younger gamers now compete with correct footwear — and brighter smiles.
“Seeing their faces gentle up after they obtained the footwear made all the pieces value it,” Tahlia mentioned. “It made me wish to do extra and to encourage others to do extra too.”
Her mom, Toyin Ayandare, couldn’t be prouder. “When Tahlia got here dwelling and mentioned, ‘Mum, let’s do one thing,’ I knew this was particular. We’ve traveled to Kenya and now Nigeria, simply guaranteeing the undertaking succeeds. It’s price us money and time, however the pleasure it brings is priceless.”
Although tennis doesn’t have the identical visibility in Nigeria as soccer, Tahlia believes ardour and persistence can break limitations. “It’s exhausting, but when it wasn’t, everybody can be doing it,” she mentioned, smiling. “My recommendation? By no means quit.”
With Serena Williams as her idol and a renewed love for tennis after briefly stepping away from the game, Tahlia isn’t just chasing factors on the courtroom — she’s serving up change off it.
Her imaginative and prescient for Pair It Ahead is easy however highly effective: if everybody provides a little bit, we are able to make an enormous distinction.
And for this 16-year-old with an enormous dream and even larger coronary heart, that is just the start.
