Heinrich Gabler has a way with orphaned kids. Perhaps because he understands what it’s like to experience a tumultuous childhood. “When I was nine years old, I lost my mom in a motorcar accident,” he says. While grieving her passing, Gabler’s father – who was battling an alcohol addiction – abandoned him and his siblings shortly after the funeral. “It really felt like my world was ripped apart,” Gabler says. Without contact with his extended family, he was forced to move into House Andrew Murray. At the children's home in Wellington, Gabler discovered an outlet of expression through rugby, cricket, and athletics, as well as a support network within his circle of teammates. “Sports hold a special meaning because it really gave me a second chance at life,” he says. “It helped me survive my circumstances.” Now a successful teacher and model, Gabler is using what healed him to empower other kids.
Team sports teach players to never give up and exercise hard work, while providing a sense of belonging. But many can’t afford the gear to participate. With his NGO Upcycle SA, Gabler is providing kids with recycled sports accessories. “I know what it’s like not to have the equipment that you really need,” he says. Ensuring other children don’t have to endure the same experience, Gabler delivers everything from balls and cricket bats to roller blades and bicycles to under-resourced schools, orphanages, and communities. Since 2019, he’s been able to donate thousands of items at over 50 outreach events.
“No matter where you come from, what matters most is where you're going in life,” Gabler says. “I want them to pursue their dreams.” Through his initiative, he’s partnered with the orphanage he grew up in and is strengthening the bond he shares with the children here. “I want to be a real-life example to them, saying that, ‘You know if Heinrich can do it surely they can do it as well’,” Gabler says.
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