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25 September 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Stefan Els
Run to Stellenbosch run
The baton #hope took centre stage at the welcoming ceremony of the #UFSRun4MentalHealth team at Coetzenburg stadium in Stellenbosch on 25 September 2019. Pictured here from the left; Susan van Jaarsveld, Burneline Kaars, Arina Engelbrecht and Tertia de Bruin.

The #UFSRun4MentalHealth awareness runners arrived in Stellenbosch on 25 September 2019.

The 21-member team from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Organisational Development and Employee Wellness at the University of the Free State (UFS) had a send-off ceremony on the Bloemfontein Campus on 20 September 2019, on their running journey to Stellenbosch University (SU) to raise awareness for #MentalHealth. The teams ran a distance of 1 075 km at an average speed of 10.03 km/h or a pace of 5 minutes and 59 seconds per km.

"At last, the team has arrived. I am extremely proud of all the runners and I think they have touched many lives, and I think it was a wonderful experience. On behalf of the University of the Free State, welcome to Stellenbosch!," said Susan van Jaarsveld; Senior Director: UFS Human Resources

"We ran 1 075 kilometres from Bloemfontein to Stellenbosch. Yes, we did have some challenges along the road. There were some steeps that were too heavy, and the wind, the dryness, and some gravel roads that we went through. But, because of the team spirit and the inspiration that we maintained during our challenge, we did very well until we got to Stellenbosch this morning," said red team member, Diphate Dimo from the university's Facilities Management. 


Read more:
#UFSRun4MentalHealth: 973 km down, 100 km to go
First #MentalHealth awareness run to Stellenbosch to bring hope
MENTAL HEALTH: It affects all of us
Guardians of Mental Health
#KovsiesCare: HR prioritises mental health in the workplace



News Archive

Kovsies included in national team for 2015 World Cup in Australia
2015-06-30

Karla Mostert
Photo: Johan Roux

The success of netballers Adele Niemand (former Kovsie) and Karla Mostert (captain of the Kovsie netball team) continues - they represent Kovsies, the provincial Crinums, as well as the national SPAR Proteas as goal-keeper and goal defender, respectively. The UFS is also very proud of their inclusion in the national team for the upcoming 2015 World Cup in Australia.
 
On 6 June 2015, Niemand and Mostert played for the Free State Crinums, who overpowered the Gauteng Jaguars in the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League (NPL). This win secured the championship title for the Crinums for the second time in a row.
 
“Our aim was to improve with each game. We did this throughout the league. The final game against the Jaguars was definitely our best game, so we are very satisfied. The NPL prepared us and gave us game time, which I think, is great preparation for the Diamond Challenge,” said Mostert.
 
Niemand and Mostert represented South Africa at the Diamond Challenge in Margate from 14 to 18 June 2015.
 
Prior to the event, Burta de Kock, Head Coach of the university’s team, said, “The Diamond Challenge in Margate will be hard, because Zambia, Uganda and Malawi want to be the best in Africa. But SA has enough brilliant players to do the trick for us, and we also have a great leader as captain.”
 
Niemand and Mostert form part of the national squad selected for the upcoming 2015 World Cup in Australia. Kovsie Lauren-Lee Christians from the UFS is the only non-travelling substitute for the World Cup. In their group, the team will compete from 7 to 16 August 2015 against Malawi, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
 
For the upcoming games against the world’s best in Sydney, Niemand has set a personal goal, namely to be the best by playing every game as if it's her last, and in so doing, aims to maintain the high standard of the team.
 
Their coach’s words of encouragement for the World Cup are: “Just go out with passion and enjoy every second. Never forget you are our CHAMPS!!”
 
The SPAR Proteas have indeed proven to be champions by beating Zambië 63 - 38 in the opening match of the challenge on 16 June 2015 at the UGU Sports Centre. They continued to beat Malawi convincingly by 43 - 33, and thrashed Uganda with a score of 56 - 39 to maintain their unbeaten run. The Proteas managed to uphold their lead to the end and thereby secured the tournament trophy win a win of 40 - 35.  In the first two games against Zambia and Malawi, Mostert and Niemand was respectively Player of the Match.
 
The UFS is also proud of Maryka Holtzhausen, a former Kovsie now captaining the Proteas. Ilze du Pisanie, also a former Kovsie, is the conditioning coach for the Proteas.

 

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