Realise Academies was formed in 2009 by me, Richard Knowles.
I was born in Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa and was very fortunate and privileged to have wonderful parents who supported me in all sorts of activities, especially in Sport. My Dad was the Chaplain at St Andrews College and I consequently had access to all of the school's sports facilities. I loved sport and was so lucky to have a Mother to teach me Tennis and a father to teach me Cricket, Squash, Athletics and many other Sports.
We moved to Hilton College when I was 10, and again I had use of amazing world class Sports facilities.
In addition I had many Tennis and other sporting matches and duels with friends and school colleagues, and loved going to holiday Tennis Tournaments.
I finished school and attended University and Pietermaritzburg, completing a Law degree and also coaching Sport after having suffered an horrific leg fracture, which took two years to heal fully
and having worked in England as a Corporate Lawyer for 10 years or so, I undertook some Squash and Tennis coaching courses, and attended some Drum academies and further lessons, and I decided in 2009 to start coaching Sport and to provide Drum tuition and move back to South Africa to launch Realise Academies in South Africa.
It was during this time that I realised that perhaps I wouldn't be able to play competitive Sport to a high level again, and I became interested and passionate about coaching."