Mukasa to receive international award in May
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Nelson Mukasa is the founder of Children & Youth Sports Organization and a fitness trainer during the Kigali Car Free Day mass sports. / File.

Fitness trainer Nelson Mukasa is set to be recognised for his efforts in promoting mass sports in Rwanda during the forthcoming Vigor Unsung Heroes Awards International award giving gala slated for in May in Moshi, Tanzania.

The annual event aims at celebrating, honouring and acknowledging individuals who make impact in the world by bringing positive changes through improving, encouraging or empowering other people’s lives.

The award is given to the modern day hero, specifically people who shed light in the darkness and ask nothing in return.

Mukasa will be awarded the Sports Mentor and Achievement Award.

In an interview with Times Sport, Mukasa said, "It’s an honour for me to see people appreciating what I do. The prize means a lot to me, it is a motivation that can push me do better in the future.

I dedicated my life in sports and I am proud of what I do as long as it has a positive impact on people’s health and fitness.”

Mukasa has established himself as Rwanda’s topfitness trainer since becoming the main sports instructor for the Kigali Car Free Day, mass sports that bring together about 6000 participants from different parts of the City of Kigali twice a month.

The Vigor Unsung Heroes Awards International was initiated to give a platform of recognition to everyday heroes, build a thriving and motivating culture of giving to others and to inspire individuals in communities to step up and step out making the world a more beautiful place.

Mukasa credit the award to his initiative to come up with special sports training sessions for pregnant women.

He is also the founder of Children & Youth Sports Organization, a sports umbrella that keeps students occupied during holidays with the objective of discovering and nurturing talents of young people.

"I believe I owe the award to the two initiatives,” he said.

The award follows Mukasa’s previous honours as the Sports Mentor of the year in East Africa in 2016 a year before he was recognized on the national level during the 2017 Rwanda Sports Awards.

Last year’s ceremony of the Unsung Heroes Awards International was held in Toronto, Canada.