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#WomenOfKovsies: South Campus wonder woman on a mission

22 August 2019 | Story Eugene Seegers

Simonè Nel (Read More) — “When looking at the simply amazing female leadership emerging at the UFS — academic as well as administrative — I see hope and growth,” says Simoné Nel, a member of the management team on the South Campus.

Simoné Nel heads up the Support Services division on the UFS South Campus. Despite challenges during her youth, she learnt the power of strong examples to look up to, and still lives by the mantra she learnt in primary school from her Drum Majorettes coach. She believes that inspiration can come from mundane sources, day-to-day conversations, or even her children; she is the mother of a 10-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter. In fact, her best example of teamwork comes from her experiences as mother: “Just watch what happens when a mother is calling frantically for her child if he slips from her grip; EVERYONE helps to find him!”

Tell us about your childhood: What are some of the lessons you learned early on?

Growing up in the Western Cape, I had a primary school teacher and coach who taught me the value of the saying: “It is not the hours you put in, but what you put into the hours.” I still live by this; trying to make the most of every hour. Both of my parents passed away at a fairly young age, which made this just so much more true. USE your given time and LIVE as much as possible! Take joy in as many experiences as possible – even if it is a seemingly negative experience.

What inspires you?

Intelligent conversations, great music, my daughter’s energy, family time, and compassion in action. Simoné says her definition of compassion in action is: People like the rest of us with full-time jobs, dedicating every little spare time to helping women/children/families in need or distress; friends involved with finding forever homes for abandoned pets; the regular guy in the street helping a child stand up after falling from the curb.

How do you envision the UFS of the future — especially with regard to women's issues?

When looking at the simply amazing female leadership emerging at the UFS – academic as well as administrative — I see hope and growth. Just page through the latest issue of Dumela or browse our UFS website: These are strong women; not afraid of embracing who they are and with a need to rise up. I am part of an all-girls team at the South Campus (coincidentally!) and we support each other in every possible way. Whether I know them as Prof, Doc, Ma’am, Mom, Sister, Vriendin – they are all Wonder Women to me.

Tell us something no-one (or only a few people) know about you?

I am in love with (a very broad scope of) music, from Beethoven on full volume to some serious rock. Yes, I sing along to my heart’s content. I am also from Scottish decent and admire my cousins in full costume (kilt and all!).

What does ‘success’ mean to you?

My definition of success has certainly taken a 180-degree turn. When I was still a young student, I longed for academic success and to pursue my PhD studies as soon as possible. Now I am a mom and wife — first and foremost — and still working on my master’s degree. At the end of a fruitful day at the office, a glass of wine with my husband, and hugs, kisses, and laughs from my children, I’d say I had a most successful day.

What ‘words of wisdom’ do you always fall back on?

I learnt this early on, but had it confirmed in JRR Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring: There is always HOPE.

Lastly, my mom taught me this gem: ‘A little kindness goes a long way.’

News Archive

Another boost for sport at the UFS

2005-10-13

A contract formalizing the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was signed by Prof Verschoor and Mr Morne du Plessis in the historic Main Building of the UFS Bloemfontein campus.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has officially appointed Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd, which has former Springbok rugby captain Morné du Plessis as managing director, to manage its Centre for Exercise and Sport Science Services (CESSS) on the Bloemfontein campus.

According to Prof Teuns Verschoor, Vice-Rector: Academic Operations, the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is another step in the implementation of the UFS’s wide-ranging sport strategy to improve sport facilities and elevate formerly marginalized sports such as soccer, hockey, netball, tennis etc.

Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is the manager of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa and coordinates and manages the national basketball high-performance programme of SA Basketball, as well as the Boxing Academy on behalf of Boxing South Africa.

“It is also actively involved with the sports plans of several tertiary institutions like that of the University of Johannesburg and the University of Stellenbosch,” said Prof Verschoor.

“Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was also appointed by the Ministry of Sport and Recreation to manage the allocation of sports codes to high-performance centres and to oversee the allocation of monies received from the National Lottery to these centres – this includes the CESSS at the UFS,” Prof Verschoor added.

In unfolding its national sports plan, the Ministry of Sport and Recreation has already identified the UFS-based CESSS as the high-performance testing centre for the national basketball teams whilst the national boxing teams are also earmarked to be trained at the UFS.

“We are glad to be associated with a company of this stature and look forward to work with them in the further development of sports at the UFS,” said Prof Verschoor.

According to Prof Verschoor, the CESSS will act as a centralised body that is responsible for the coordination and management of joint initiatives between professional service providers, research projects and KovsieSport.

“The centre will also coordinate and manage joint initiatives between various academic programmes in different academic subject fields such as sports medicine, bio kinetics, physiotherapy, dietetics, etc. ,” said Prof Verschoor.

These initiatives will help the UFS to become a centre and catalyst of sports development, to become internationally recognised in the field of exercise and sports science research and to become a centre for high quality sports performance enhancement.

Some of the objectives of the CESSS are:

To provide sports science services like to athletes, students, the general public and other stakeholders including certain national sport teams.
To provide the necessary teaching and training facilities and internship opportunities for UFS students in sports related fields of study will also be provided by the centre like human movement science.
To present skills-transfer programmes directed at the broader community like development of skills in various sporting codes.
To continue and extend the current chronic risk reversal programmes presented by the Department of Human Movement Science such as obesity management, cardiac rehabilitation and other lifestyle related conditions.

The centre was founded in 2003 and was until now managed by Dr Louis Holtzhausen, from Kovsie Health and a consultant, Dr Gary Vorster.

A contract formalizing the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was signed today by Prof Verschoor and Mr Morne du Plessis in the historic Main Building of the UFS Bloemfontein campus.

The manager of the centre appointed by Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is Mr Charles Store, an alumnus of the UFS, previously employed at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town and by the SANDF at 3 Military Hospital, Bloemfontein.

Media release
Issued by: Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
072-207-8334
12 October 2005

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