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‘I want to see other people smile’

08 October 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Vicky_read more — Vicky Simpson believes our current reality is temporary and that we are more than capable to adjust, regardless of our understanding of what ‘normal’ is.

Vicky Simpson is Development Officer in the Office for Institutional Advancement at the university, where one of her main focus areas is to secure funding for UFS projects and raising funds for student bursaries and the No Student Hungry Programme.

Simpson, an energetic and proactive person who has a passion for interventions that are humanitarian in nature, says she considers herself lucky to be able to align that which she is passionate about with her career, where she can promote the greater good and create opportunities for others.

“I love working with people and I draw energy from interpersonal interactions. I am an extrovert.”

But the strict lockdown regulations implemented by government in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited personal interaction – dampened Simpson’s enthusiasm for life.

“The side effect was constant snacking – given that the fridge was next to my temporary office. My energy took a dip and I gained weight.”

Keeping positive

“My partner being a frontline medical worker added additional challenges, given that we had to implement strict routines to keep COVID-19 out of our home. We were both rather drained and had to find ways to keep each other positive.”

Practical as she is, Simpson determined that she craved interaction and fresh air.

“I decided to do video calls with friends and family. This made up for the lack of social contact.”

For fresh air, Simpson started a light exercise routine once South Africans were allowed to go for walks, and gradually increased it. “Exercise and healthy nutritional choices lifted my mood. Basically, I used my time wisely and decided to change my routine for the better,” Simpson adds.

She says the key is to set small goals and to take things slowly. “One small victory at a time.”

Healthy choices

The pandemic challenged Simpson to embrace a more active lifestyle. “The situation forced me to do introspection, self-care, and nurturing,” she says.

Her advice to others is to make the tough choices. “It is easy to get caught up in a routine where you can’t find the time to go for a walk. Evaluate your routine. Start slowly. And do not forget to drink lots of water, take your vitamins, and eat healthier,” she adds.

Simpson explains that she started off by walking only 30 minutes every second day. But once the serotonin bug bit her, she was hooked. Now she goes for a 5 km run at least once a week. “I simply want to feel healthier again,” she says.

She believes our current reality is temporary and she is looking forward to life after lockdown.

And what is she looking forward to most? Seeing other people smile. “Yes, I randomly smile at strangers. They always smile back. There is not enough love in this world and small things go a long way,” she says.

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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