The Frank Fredericks Foundation
The Frank Fredericks Foundation was launched in Windhoek on 7th of April 1999 by Honorable Prime Minister, Hage Geingob.The Foundation was a way of Frank Fredericks saying “Thank You” to the people for all the support that he has received from them.It is a non-profit organisation dedicated to young talented athletes of Namibia.Through his career, both on and off the track, Frank Fredericks has received sponsorship which has helped him to reach so many of his goals. Through the Frank Fredericks Foundation, he hopes to be able to give scholarships to the promising athletes of Namibia.
About Frank Fredericks
Namibia’s star athlete and accomplished ambassador, Frank Fredericks was born in Windhoek on the 2nd October 1967. He grew up in Windhoek with his mother, Mrs. R. Fredericks.After completing his schooling he joined Rossing Uranium Limited as a Business and Marketing Associate, before heading off to United States of America, to continue his studies in Computer Science and complete his Masters in Business Administration with the emphasis on Finance and Marketing.He has given lectures to both youth and adult audiences on motivational themes and is a Patron of KAYEC (Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre). His hobbies include music, literature, soccer and relaxing with friends.
Frank Fredericks Sports Career Highlights
1991
The start of Frank Fredericks’s international career in athletic track and field was at Tokyo World Championships where he came second after Michael Johnson in the 200m.
1992
The following year at the Olympics in Barcelona he became Namibia’s first Olympic medalist with two silver medals.
1993
He “struck” gold when he came first in the 200m beating Carl Lewis and John Regis in a dramatic finish at the Stuttgart World Championships. At the same event he came fourth in the 100m.
1994
He won the Commonwealth 200m title in Vancouver and came second in the 100m.
1995
He came second to Michael Johnson in the 200m at the World Championships in Gothenburg.
1996
By the time the Olympics had arrived, Frank had broken two Indoor World Records – 100m in Finland (10.05s) and 200m in France (19.92s). Unfortunately the Atlanta Olympics did not bring him luck and he came second in both 100m and 200m.He was ranked number 1 in the world 100m and 200m and he was also Golden Four-Meetings (a combination of 4 Meets held in different locations in Europe) winner in 100m (the previous year he took the same title in the 200m).
1997
Frank is the only person who has won both titles in the men’s sprint. The same year he came second in the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At the World Championships in Athens he came second in the 200m.
1998
Frank took two more titles – in Moscow he won the IAAF GP 100m final and then the World Cup’s 200m in Johannesburg.
1999
At the World Indoor Championships in Japan he came first in the 200m. In June at the Grand Prix meet in Athens, he came fourth in the 200m.
Frank Fredericks Foundation Trustees
Mr. Sydney Martin
Born in Luderitz, Namibia, he completed his secondary education at Concordia College. He went on to study a B.A. Law degree at the University of Western Cape and in 1997 he completed a Senior Management Programme at Stellenbosch Graduate School of Business.
Mr. Martin is also a Trustee of the J.P. Karuaihe Trust, which provides scholarships to disadvantaged students to qualify as legal practitioners.
In his own words, “the establishment of the Foundation creates the platform to assist and develop the untapped skills and potentials that is so evident among the Namibian people”.
Mr. Bonnie Paulino
Mr. Paulino was born in Walvis Bay and did his primary and secondary schooling in Windhoek. After school he studied both in South Africa and England.
He sees the Foundation as benefiting “the people of Namibia by providing scholarship/funding to the athletes with potential talent and skills, so that these athlete’s can reach the ultimate goal in sport”.
(Managing Director – Global Travel & Tours (Pty) Ltd.)
Mr. Anibal Da Cunha Rego
Born in Johannesburg in South Africa, he arrived in Namibia in 1990. He is Managing Director of Global Travel & Tours (Pty) Ltd and is a Namibian Citizen. He has played a significant role in the Namibian Tourism and travel industry, as well as forging links with the Portuguese speaking communities, both locally and aboard. He serves and sits on various boards in various fields.
He has received the Travel Agent of the Year Award from the Association of the Namibian Travel Agencies and he has served as chairman of this body. He is chairman of the SEA Namibia Expo ’98 Committee, which was responsible for the Namibia Pavilion at the Expo in Lisbon, Portugal.
Mr. Anibal Rego has represented Namibia at international travel conferences, and was a member of the delegation of the President of Namibia, Dr. Sam Nujoma, on a State visit to Portugal.
He is an ardent soccer fan and enjoys coaching his children in his favorite sport, and likes watching a good movie.
Ms. A. B. Tjongarero
Ms. Tjongarero has served on several committees including the Sport Council, the Sport Commission and the Olympic Committee, as well as on a committee serving the interests of the popular sport of netball.
She has also served as President of the All Namibian Netball Association, and traveled with the national team, as part of the management, to various events such as the All Africa Games, Commonwealth Games, and to countries including New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and Malawi. Ms. Tjongarero is currently President of the Namibian National Olympic Committee.
She feels that the Frank Fredericks Foundation is not a short-term solution, but rather a medium and long-term answer to the difficulties facing Namibian athletes.
Her hopes for the Foundation are that it will go from strength to strength and that it will also benefit athletes from the rural areas.