Scott Giles combines his passion for education and triathlon in the Empower 5 Challenge to transform South African classrooms.
South Africa (11 August 2025) – Combining sports and education to make a difference has never looked better, and Scott Giles is proving it can change the game for South Africa’s teachers. When Scott talks about empowering South Africa’s teachers, one can easily get caught up in his energy. A teacher by profession, Scott understands the ripple effect that a well-equipped educator can have on society. It can be students, future employers, and the country’s growth.
That belief became the driving force behind after-school.co.za, an online teacher training platform he founded during the Covid-19 pandemic. What started as a necessity quickly turned into a national mission: to make high-quality, accredited teacher training available anywhere, anytime, on any device.
The platform offers over 60 South African Council for Educators (SACE) accredited courses, more than 50 recorded webinars, and even a typing course. All designed to help teachers improve their skills. This year, Scott and his team are taking it a step further by adding curriculum specific content, starting with core subjects, and introducing closed captions in Zulu and Afrikaans.
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Scott is looking to remove barriers from internet access to language, and believes they can do it faster with more partners.
To spread the message, Scott draws on his other passion, which is triathlon. In 2024, he completed the Empower 5 Challenge by racing in five (perfectly symbolising Empower 5) Half Ironman events across Africa to symbolise the determination teachers need to succeed. This year, he is raising the bar a lot higher with his first Full Ironman, the Durban 70.3 Ironman, and a spot at the World 70.3 Ironman Championships.
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The Cape Town Campaign Reframing Homelessness as Stories of HopeThrough each race, he is inviting South Africans to “Raise, Race, and Represent” whether by sponsoring a teacher, supporting an athlete, or joining the movement themselves. Empowering teachers empowers students, and ultimately that empowers South Africa.
You can find out more via the website here.
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