Life coach releases book on raising champions with insights from SA sports stars

LIFE coach and author, Myandran Subrayan aims to provide a practical roadmap for parents, teachers, coaches, and business leaders who want to raise a new generation of South Africans to rise above challenges through his latest book, Raising Champions: The Path to Greatness Starts at Home. 

The book was released yesterday (Wednesday).

Subrayan, 50, who hails from Durban and now resides in Perth in Australia, said the book weaved together the journeys of three of South Africa’s greatest sportsmen - swimmer and Olympic gold medallist Chad le Clos; former football player, Shaun Bartlett; and former rugby player and world cup winner CJ van der Linde; and the lessons their families lived out. 

“It’s about discipline, character, faith, sacrifice, and family. Over the years, I have worked closely with elite athletes and their families, and I have been struck not just by their achievements, but by the character that sustained them,” he said. 

Subrayan, who is also a teacher and pastor, said he was inspired after writing the autobiography of Le Clos in 2014.  

“I saw the impact his dad, Bert le Clos, had on his life. I said to Bert that when the time was right, I would like to write a book of all the lessons he had shared with Chad. This book is a result of that conversation, as well as the many talks I have done at various schools around the country.  

“During these talks I saw the urgent need for hope and values-based guidance in South Africa. Everywhere we look, we see headlines of corruption, crime, fatherlessness, and broken families. Yet, in my work as a life coach and writer, I have also seen how strong values, discipline, and mentorship can completely transform lives. I wanted to capture that truth in a book, not in theory, but through real and powerful stories that could inspire both young people and those raising them."

Subrayan added that the book was not just motivational. 

“It is a manual for raising children of purpose, no matter how broken the world around them may seem. I have not sugar-coated the challenges that Shaun, CJ and Chad had to overcome because I wanted readers to see that even in the mess, you could choose a different path to the status-quo to succeed. By showing the pain and the hope side-by-side, the book becomes more than motivation, it becomes a manual for how to lead a child toward purpose, no matter how broken the world looks.

“One of the most urgent lessons in the book is that your circumstances don’t define your child’s future - your choices do. Irrespective of where I am in South Africa, I have seen one constant truth - when a child knows they are seen, loved, and guided, they rise.  

“This book is not just for parents of athletes or straight-A students. It is for every mom and dad who walks their child to school through dangerous streets; for every parent who worries their son may be pulled into crime or gang life; and for every caregiver raising a child on love more than money. The book provides practical tools for building discipline, faith, and self-worth, to build champions from the ground up." 

Subrayan said he also drew on his own experiences. 

“While the book primarily tells the stories of Chad, Shaun, and CJ, I also draw on my own experiences as a life coach combined with years of working alongside athletes, teams like the Springboks, All Blacks and Proteas, as well as Olympians, which deeply influenced the perspective and message of this book.”

Subrayan, who is married to Jolene and has five children and a granddaughter, said his hope for the book was that it restored hope to our nation “one family, one school, one business at a time”. 

“The core message is simple. Talent may open doors, but it is character that keeps them open. We can raise a generation that is resilient, disciplined, and values-driven. You don’t need wealth or privilege to raise a champion, you need time, presence, and belief. If South African parents, teachers, and leaders take these lessons to heart, I believe we can turn the tide on negativity and build a brighter future for our children.

“People who have heard me speak and who have read my previous books, know that I am a strong believer in keeping it real. So, getting the balance right between motivation and reality was always one of the hardest, yet most important parts of writing this book."

He said he intended on writing more books in the future. Some of his other books include autobiographies for former All Black player, Va'iga Tuigamala, former Springboks players Pierre Spies and Jannie de Beer, former Bafana Bafana players, Delron Buckley and Ricardo Katza, as well as his own books, among others, You Can, Unstoppable and Seed or Greed?. 

The official launch will be held at Exclusive Books at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on October 8 at 6pm.

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