Johannesburg - There’s a distinctive frame that hangs in Samantha Toweel-Moore’s gym at home in Johannesburg.
You simply cannot walk past it without noticing it in all its glory.
Hanging next to a picture of her grandfather is the hand prints of Brazilian football legend Pele.
She says It is one of her most-prized possessions.
“It still feels so surreal to touch the hand prints of a football legend. My dad was the first person I showed the prints to. He made me fall in love with Pele as a little girl. I used to snuggle in my dad's strong arms watching him play,” she said.
“My father, Willie Toweel, a boxing legend and hall of famer himself had the utmost respect for this humble, talented genius.”
Toweel-Moore is one of the few people in the world who owns hand prints of the football icon, who passed away last week at the age of 82 after a battle with cancer.
She received them after winning the Hands of Pele competition a few years ago.
She took a chance and entered a competition on Facebook, eventually beating thousands of people worldwide to scoop the prized possession.
“ A notification of a competition being run by the Art of Pele on Pele Universe, Pele's official Facebook page, popped up on my screen.
“ I felt prompted by God to enter it and weeks later smiled when I received the call from the organisers to tell me that from all the entries across the universal Facebook community, I had won.
“The prints had a special handwritten message that read, ‘I was a child too once, and a country that has no children has no future. It was no surprise that the message was perfectly scripted to uplift children. It was clear Pele's hand had scribed the answer to our prayers for the children of Johannesburg.”
After winning the competition, Toweel-Moore chose to donate the artwork to Little Legends, an organisation that uses football to uplift children.
Little Legends run football clinics and training.
Winning the competition set in motion a number of things which would eventually go on to inspire thousands of children in South Africa.
“It was my hope that the children would be reminded that greatness is grown and with time and effort they too could move forward.
“The story of Pele needed to be told, so I volunteered to run workshops alongside the football training to teach life skills and enhance character development and share the story of Pele with them. His story was no different from theirs. Just as my father had shared his story with me I shared the story with them.
“At the end of three months, I asked to go visit the homes of the children. I spent another three months visiting all sectors of the community to get to understand the challenges and needs of these precious children whom I had realised were suffering from immense trauma living in violent home environments.
“I began to work with the children in Eldorado Park. This move and investigation led to an important life-changing moment.
“Jeremy, a football coach at Little Legends, had written to the scout at the top football academy in Africa called Right to Dream in Ghana and one of the local boys, Keanin Ayer, after two trials was offered an opportunity to take up a full scholarship at the academy.
“He lived in a home where his two older brothers were in opposing criminal rings and both years deep in the use of drugs. He was afraid to sleep at night not knowing who they were out hurting or whether they would come home alive. He fought so hard to rise, but was afraid to leave his family (in fear) he would return to them dead or in jail.“
Ayer had never been out of Johannesburg and was terrified to get on a plane. Jeremy as his coach would fly with him for his first trial.
“Once he was accepted into the academy I spent afternoons with Keanin after school sharing and reflecting on the story and lessons that Pele had learnt with him. My father even wrote Keanin a letter to encourage him to take the steps just like Pele had.
“We watched footage of his games, reflected on the poverty of his family, the fact that he learnt to play soccer with a ball made of socks. All of this laid the pathway for this little 11- year-old and he finally found the courage and the hope to board the plane to Ghana and begin the pathway to his dream.
“Journeying with him to this point I realised that a pathway needed to be founded for young people to step away from violence, addiction, crime and trauma to lead healthy full lives where they could influence change.”
Winning the artwork would eventually lead Toweel-Moore to develop her own non-profit organisation, Growing Champions.
“I founded Growing Champions. Jeremy took up a scouting position at Right to Dream to be a guardian to this young man and over the past 11 years the story of Pele has been revisited. Not only as a player on the pitch but the important role he has played off the pitch. Keanin is currently playing first division football in Norway for a team called Sanderfjord FC and Jeremy became Right to Dream lead global scout -and is currently establishing a new Right To Dream Academy in Egypt .”
Growing Champions has grown from a little football team in Eldorado Park LFA to a home to boys and girls in need and a pathway of transformation.
“In the beginning, we had no idea how much would evolve from this story but when you take the time to appreciate greatness it becomes contagious.”
She said Pele set the benchmark for Growing Champions, which has grown from strength to strength over the years.
“He has set the benchmark for us. We know what can be achieved no matter where you start and we intend not only to finish strong but to make the world a safer, happier, beautiful place. One story at a time. Hands joining together. One by one. Until no person is left behind.”
Since founding Growing Champions, Toweel-Moore has used the inspiration of Pele to inspire thousands of young children.
She said that the Brazilian football icon served as the perfect inspiration.
“Pele was an athlete my dad and I had discussed and enjoyed since a was a little girl. At that time I absorbed the fact that he was a man of faith. We shared the same Catholic faith so I noticed how he blessed himself and placed things in God's hands. It impressed me because being obedient to authority and understanding your place with humility opens you to great possibilities.
“You aren't limited to only what you think is possible. I loved how he was so integrated with his teammates. They were family to him. Being Lebanese, that was another common denominator. I knew how many blows in life my father and his brothers had taken in their lives as fighters and I admire his perseverance and courage.
“He had great respect for his father who was his hero and the reason he wanted to win a World Cup. As a little boy he ,had seen his father in tears after a World Cup and promised him he would win one for him.”
She said that her dad had made a promise to her grandfather to bring home an Olympic medal for him and the country in 1952 after his brother Victor had been denied one in 1948 due to scandalous officials “robbing” him of one.
“I found Pele very relatable. I found his story powerful and inspirational for the children of our country, because he had come from their spaces of hardship and grown into a champion who was leading change.
“He didn't rest when he completed his athletic career, he did everything in his power to create a pathway of development for children of his land and even across the world. This is what legends are made of, they impact the world and leave it a better place than they found it.”
She said that even though she may have never met the football icon, he had gone on to inspire her and thousands of kids in the country.
“I have been an active and integrated member of South Africa from very little. My dad used to take me with him into the townships during apartheid and we would spend time eating, dancing and visiting with the families of his boxers. In our home, we had people from diverse backgrounds and heritages. We would eat together and my parents would upskill them and help them navigate lives that would fulfil their dreams.
“I watched transformation happen every day. It made me want to work in the field of development of human potential and led me to medical school to study occupational therapy and psychology with a special interest in trauma.”
“My father and his family wrestled with the minister of sport to break apartheid in sport and promoted the first multiracial fight in the country. I came from a legacy of pioneers. But, and this is a big but, I was truly clueless of the nuances of the hearts of the children of our country and how they are suffering.”
Toweel-Moore said she was given the opportunity to learn about Pelé and study him in a way she could forge a pathway that would bring healing and flow to the hearts of children.
“That they could love themselves, have hope in life and boldly, bravely pursue becoming the best version of themselves but most of all, working transformation into our land. Together we rise, thanks to the hand up from Pele.”
She added that the football legend has left an indelible mark on millions across the world.
“On the football field he coined the phrase, the beautiful game, referring to football. He was the first to try to score from the halfway line, doing what most thought impossible. He mastered the bicycle kick and held tons of titles, the greatest of course being a winner of three world cups. His striking rate of 1 279 in 1 363 matches.
“Greater still, off the field, he has lifted a print of hope, humility and practical provision for the children around the world who hope to follow his lead to being a change maker and eventually stand on his shoulders.”
She further said that Pele had left a great legacy both on and off the field.
“I've been a fan pretty much from birth. As a player, I love that he respects the game, He knows it is bigger than him and the focus is to come to victory together rather than show off or achieve your own personal goals. His speed, intelligence, vision, composure and finishing power are jaw-dropping. I admire his humility, when you are heralded a hero it is isn't easy to remain humble. The political pressure and conflict in Brazil were difficult backdrops to perform against.
“He stayed focused. In his lane and got the job done. With that came his power to forge pathways of transformation in football for Brazil and he put his energy behind it. What a gift to humanity.”
She said that Pele’s death last week was a personal bitter-sweet moment for her.
“It’s sad to have his physical presence slip away from this world. It's a energy of hope that shines when we have greatness among us. But also thrilled that he is now with his creator after a life truly well lived. Few get to live their dreams and bring hope to the masses.
“But what is truly wonderful is his own words that he was taught Godly principles and values by his parents and no matter the challenges of his life he had come to his final years with them still intact.”
She said that the Brazil legend would go down as one of the best footballers the world has seen.
“Like Pelé, I would agree that to call someone the greatest football player is not accurate as they would need to be tested in every position with standard measures. But I would say his unique contribution to football, to hope, to human advancement has left an indelible mark on the hearts of children and adults across the world and it could never be matched.”