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Wellness drive officially launched

15 June 2020 | Story Amanda Thongha

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WATCH: Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof Hendri Kroukamp, the Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Susan Van Jaarveld, Senior Director at the Department of Human Sources, and Brandon Jacobs, Head of Retail and Business Banking at Standard Bank, Central Free State explain what the “I Am’ Wellness programme is about.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance continues to be a juggling act for most, more so during this uncertain time dominated by COVID-19. To help individuals cope with life challenges, the University of the Free State (UFS) has launched a new short learning programme that addresses all aspects of well-being.

The ‘I Am’ Wellness short learning programme, open to UFS staff, private individuals, and businesses, kicks off on 19 June 2020. A number of prominent South Africans participating in the launch of the ‘I Am’ Wellness short learning programme are, among others, Kovsie alumna and former Miss World, Rolene Strauss; former Miss South Africa, Amy Kleinhans; and motivational speaker and author, Alison Botha. Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela rounds off the list of public figures who have also expressed interest in the programme.

Burneline Kaars, Head of Organisational Development and Employee Wellness at the UFS, says those interested in the programme can look forward to content focusing on different topics and themes related to wellness aspects. Participants will discover the fun of finding ways to improve their health and well-being through activities, games, quizzes, and many more.

“Upon completion of this programme, participants will be equipped to understand and improve their own personal and work-related well-being. They will be empowered to increase their own well-being and reach their optimal potential in both their personal and work life.”

The programme, a joint effort of the UFS Division of Organisational Development and Employee Wellness and the UFS Department of Industrial Psychology, can be completed online or as part of contact sessions, depending on the needs of the participants. Participants need to avail themselves four hours a week to successfully complete the programme. Those who master the two-month programme will also receive a certificate of completion from the UFS.

The programme is offered to UFS staff at no cost. External audiences will pay R9 500 per person to complete the programme. Groups of 10 and more will get a special discount when signing up.

Registration for the formal programme opens on Wednesday, 24 June 2020.

For more information, contact Burneline Kaars at KaarsB@ufs.ac.za.

Other programmes done by the UFS Organisational Development and Employee Wellness office:

First #MentalHealth awareness run to Stellenbosch to bring hope
Kovsies pedal smoothie bike for #MentalHealth

News Archive

Three more Kovsie staff members involved in Olympic Games

2012-05-30

Dr Derik Coetzee
Photo: Supplied
30 May 2012

The South African men’s hockey team will practice on our Bloemfontein Campus from 28 May to 8 June 2012, and the team count on the assistance of three Kovsies to prepare them for the Olympic Games taking place in London later this year.

Dr Derik Coetzee, senior lecturer in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science and Head of our High Performance Centre, has been appointed conditioning coach of the team. He will be assisted by Colleen Jones and Riaan Schoeman, also from this department.

The UFS team and Mr Gregg Clark, the team’s coach, will work out a periodisation programme for the team, which will continue until the hockey finals at the Olympic Games. The programme includes the correct exercises, volume, intensity and number of exercise sessions per week.

This is not the first time that Dr Coetzee has assisted sports teams to prepare for important events. In 2007, he was the conditioning coach of the Springbok rugby team that won the World Cup in France. He was also the conditioning coach of the under-21 Springbok team in 2002 that won the Junior World Cup Tournament.

Dr Coetzee says it is a challenge to ensure that the team performs well at the Olympic Games. “The joy on the faces of the coach and players when they qualified in Japan cannot be described because many people thought they would not qualify.”

With the addition of Dr Coetzee, Ms Jones and Mr Schoeman, a total of six staff members from the UFS will be involved with the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. The other three are:

Dr Louis Holtzhausen, Head of the university’s Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, has been selected as team doctor for the more than 300 athletes that will represent South Africa at this year’s Olympic Games (in London).
Ms Ebeth Grobbelaar, Assistant Director of the South African Testing Laboratory for Prohibited Substances at the UFS, was invited to be involved in the Drugs Control Centre in the unit against prohibited substances which will test sportsmen and -women during the games.
Ms Hetsie Veitch, Head of the Unit for Students with Disabilities, has been invited to be a member of the Classification Panel at the final USA Paralympic athletics trials.

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