Cape Town - A 13-year-old boy from Matroosfontein, Elsies River, is still ecstatic after an advertisement in which he plays a young Wayde van Niekerk was aired over the weekend on DStv.
The advertisement will be played for the full duration of the Premier Soccer League on DStv’s channel 203. Chandler van Steer, a Grade 6 pupil, said his friends did not want to believe him when he said he would be playing a young Van Niekerk.
The Discovery advertisement is for a programme about the life of Van Niekerk and how he grew up. Van Niekerk is a Discovery Vitality ambassador.
“When my friends and cousins saw the advertisement over the weekend they, said ‘Oh yes, that is you’. It is was totally awesome to play the role in the advertisement and to play Wayde. People could not believe how much I look like Wayde. I am also an athlete and he is my biggest role model.
“It is my dream to meet Wayde one day, because I have a lot of questions to ask him. He runs very fast and I admire him very much. It is my dream to be like him one day,” Chandler said.
His mom, Yolanda van Steer, said: “I am super proud of my son. It was also the first time he did such a big advertisement. Over the weekend people were phoning to say they saw Chandler in the advertisement.”
Chandler’s father, Charlton, added: “It is a proud moment for our family. His nieces and nephews can still not believe it. And Wayde is Chandler’s biggest athletics role model, he wants to be like him one day. He is still super excited about it.”
13-year-old Chandler van Steer is ecstatic after an advertisement in which he plays a young Wayde van Niekerk