ATHI’S STORY

Athi Sidondi crosses Cape Town each dayfrom the impoverished Cape Flats to wealthyHout Bay, embodying the city’s deep racial andeconomic divides. She is a 30 yo soccer coach dedicated to empowering young girls, draw-ing on the confidence and freedom the sport gave her, including the courage to express her gender identity. Her best friend, Rosie Aguil-era, a former NBA executive from California, moves to Cape Town during an existentialcrisis to work with Grassroots Soccer. Their friendship sparks a shared mission to fight in-equality, racism, and patriarchy through sport. When Rosie returns to the U.S. to care for herdying mother and Athi suffers a serious kneeinjury, their plans stall. Reunited later, theycommit to founding a girls’ sports academy named after their friend Anathi Mabulwana,killed for being a lesbian, while Athi preparesto coach in the prestigious Coke Cup.