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18 April 2018 Photo Facebook
Bright future for Two Oceans winner and former Kovsie Gerda Steyn
Gerda Steyn, former Kovsie student and winner of the Two Oceans ultramarathon this year, with her trophy.

Gerda Steyn, female winner of this year’s Two Oceans ultramarathon, says her life has changed for the better in a very short time.

The former Kovsie received an invitation to a world-renowned marathon at the end of the year. She may not reveal the details yet.

Steyn, who studied Quantity Surveying and Construction Management at the University of the Free State (UFS) between 2009 and 2012, was just the third South African to win the Two Oceans since 1994. Her time of 3:39:31 was the second-best in the past seven years. For many she was a surprise winner because she didn’t compete last year and only managed a 14th place in 2016. 

“Things really took off since the race (in Cape Town at the end of March). I received a lot of exposure. People say you must try and win the race, but they don’t tell you what will happen after that with all the media attention.

“My next goal is the Comrades for which I started training in the third week of April. I will only decide on my specific goals for the race two weeks beforehand.” She obtained a fourth place last year.

According to Steyn, who is a full-time athlete, she only did a couple of cross country races while she was studying. 

“I played a bit of soccer and hockey for my hostel (Soetdoring). I have very fond memories from my university days. A couple of our hostel friends had a reunion after the race in Cape Town and had reason to have a big party.”

News Archive

A Play to inform on how to build houses using earth bricks
2006-03-17

About 3200 learners and members of the community attended a play at schools in Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu.  The play, performed to teach communities how to build houses using earth bricks, was developed by the University of the Free State's (UFS) Departments of Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning.  These department have been researching the perception of the use of earth bricks as building material for the past two years.  The project is done in cooperation with the Technical University of Eindhoven and funded by the South African - Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD).  The play was also performed at schools in the Northern Cape.
 

 

 

The play, written by Mr David Brink from Stage Alive, was performed in Sesotho and Tswana by two students - Galie Malebo and Godfrey Manenye - from the UFS.  Here the play is performed at the Dibeng-Sa Tsebo School.

 

 

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