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27 August 2018
Photo Barend Nagel
How do you start living a healthy lifestyle? Arina Engelbrecht, a wellness specialist in the Employee Wellness Division at the University of the Free State (UFS) says it only takes a few changes. Her passion is to motivate people to live a balanced life.
Being active enables a person to live life to the full. “Aim to exercise 150 minutes a week, which equates to 30 minutes five times a week in order to experience health benefits like prevention of lifestyle illnesses, better sleeping patterns, decreasing stress or anxiety and feeling more energetic,” says Engelbrecht.
Some of the initiatives Engelbrecht and her team drive are the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge, Park Runs in Bloemfontein, and the Healthy4Life Pedometer Challenge, which encourage staff members to become more physically active. “Everything we do, think or feel is influenced by what we eat! It is therefore important to eat a balanced diet. Healthy food = quality fuel = good health = sustained energy = peak performance,” she explains.
Pedometer Challenge
In the space of eight weeks 240 staff members from all campuses walked 54 000km as part of the Pedometer Challenge. Engelbrecht and her team mobilised 53 active teams from all three campuses. Three of these teams emerged as the winners as they exceeded the target of 1 300km which is the equivalent of walking to Cape Town. In September 2018 the Challenge is going national as the North-West University competes against UFS.
Celebrating women
This Women’s Month Engelbrecht’s message to women of Kovsies is: “We must start embracing who we are and start believing in ourselves, whether it is in the workplace, in business, or at home.”
Meet our Councillor Ryland Fisher - media expert, political commentator, art lover
2016-07-13
Ryland Fisher
Photo: Johan Roux
With more than 30 years’ experience in the media industry as former editor of the Cape Times and New Age, as well as assistant editor of the Sunday Times, and thanks to a profound understanding of the political situation in South Africa, Ryland Fisher was an obvious choice to serve on the Council of the University of the Free State.
Racial issues and diversity
He was born and bred in Cape Town, and studied Journalism at Rhodes University before the political situation in South Africa interrupted his studies. Despite this, Ryland has made a deep impression on the academy. Among others, he presented lectures on racial issues and diversity at the University of Cape Town, the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism in Johannesburg, Emory University in Atlanta, and Ohio University.
Author and editor
Ryland has published two books, Race in 2007 and Making the Media Work for You in 2002, and was editor of the Official Opus on Nelson Mandela.
He was elected to the UFS Council in 2015. Ryland believes that his particular background and understanding of the media industry, as well as race and diversity issues, will make a valuable contribution to the Council.
Politics, media, and entrepreneurship
"I have proven experience in politics, the media, and entrepreneurship. I often lecture on media and social transformation. I believe this offers me a unique view that could benefit Council," he says.
Ryland has a particular enthusiasm for the arts, and is executive chairman of the Cape Town Festival. He has been married for over 30 years, and his three daughters lie close to his heart.