12 August 2022
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Story Jóhann Thormählen
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Photo UFS Photo Gallery
Kesa Molotsane was a University of the Free State student, athlete, and is now a KovsieSport employee.
She is a proud product of the University of the Free State (UFS) and believes her own experiences enable her to make an even bigger difference in the lives of athletes.
Kesa Molotsane was a UFS student, a sportswoman, and as an employee she is giving back to the community that helped her achieve so much
in her career.
The Officer at Kovsie Athletics probably understands the needs of athletes a little bit better than most, and this has helped her in her professional life.
“As an athlete myself and having been part of UFS student life, it helps me as an administrator to know exactly what athletes expect.”
Molotsane is a
UFS Sporting Legends ambassador, and her journey is testament to the university’s
impact on its alumni.
In the UFS Sporting Legends project, current and former Kovsie sports stars are celebrated by featuring their stories in a video and story series.
Athlete, ambassador, and administrator
“My job requires a certain level of experience, and it is good as an athlete to have gone through the same stages of competitive athletics.”
“Then you know what is expected of you as a manager, administrator, and leader,” says Molotsane.
Her duties, among others, include looking after the well-being of UFS athletes, such as entering them for meetings, organising races, making sure they have the correct apparel, and many other logistics.
She is still a professional athlete, but also contributes as an administrator by serving on different committees.
An example is the
Athletics South Africa (ASA) Athletes Commission, where she is the Vice-Chairperson and serves as a link between her peers and ASA.
Career highlights
Molotsane reached many heights, but she had to work hard for it. “In my very first competition at USSA level as a UFS athlete, I finished eighth,” she says.
She is thankful and proud of progress made thanks to the UFS that helped her become a professional athlete.
Career highlights include winning the SPAR Women’s 10 km Challenge Grand Prix in her debut year in 2017 and representing South Africa at the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships in 2019 where she ended 42nd overall and as the first South African.
And then the World Student Games in 2017: “It is one of the bigger platforms for a student, as it is like the Olympics for students.”
The versatile athlete was crowned UFS Sportswoman of the Year in 2017 and honoured with a Kovsie Ambassador Award at the 37th UFS Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards in 2019.
• Watch the video feature to get a glimpse of Molotsane’s journey. More features of UFS Sporting Legends ambassadors will follow over the next few months.