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15 September 2021 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Charl Devenish
The University of the Free State celebrated the achievements of the Paralympic athlete, Louzanne Coetzee. She won silver and bronze medals at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
It is great to be back with her University of the Free State (UFS) family, and Louzanne Coetzee would not have been able to reach her dreams without her Kovsie support.

The Paralympic star thanked the UFS for the role it played in her career and said it was a privilege to represent the UFS and South Africa.

She returned from the Paralympic Games in Tokyo with silver (1 500 m; T11) and bronze (marathon; T12) medals and was welcomed back at a special UFS celebration on 13 September 2021.

The 28-year-old, her guides – Estean Badenhorst and Claus Kempen – and a small group of UFS dignitaries celebrated her achievements.

The Residence Head of Akasia Residence at the UFS not only brought home two medals, but also set a new 1 500 m African record (T11; 4:40.96) and a new world marathon record (T11; 3:11:13) in her class.

Support from home

Coetzee is a UFS alumna who started running while being a Kovsie student.

“Thank you so much for the welcome back,” she said.

“It is great to come back home to my UFS family. Especially after three weeks in another country.”

She said the support messages from the likes of Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, meant a lot while she was in Tokyo.

“I, Claus, and Estean would not have been able to do this without the support of the UFS and Oom DB (Prinsloo; Director of KovsieSport).”

Representing the UFS and the continent

She made special mention of Badenhorst and Kempen, who also run for the Kovsie Athletics Club. “I really feel we function well as a team, and I think the results have been fruitful.”

Prof Petersen praised and thanked them, also for representing the UFS, South Africa, and the continent in such a superb manner.

It is great to come back home to my UFS family. Especially after three weeks in another country. – Louzanne Coetzee

 

“You really made us proud as the University of the Free State family, and I know that you will continue with great performances in the future,” he said.

Prinsloo said KovsieSport is immensely proud of the trio and for being UFS ambassadors.

“Thank you very much. We are looking forward to the next couple of years.”

News Archive

Right to Learn campaign seeks to fund financially needy students
2015-11-11

SRC President, Lindokuhle Ntuli, pledges financial support to the Right to Learn campaign.
Photo: Tango Twasa

In response to the dire need for financial relief for academically deserving students from underprivileged backgrounds, the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the University of the Free State (UFS) launched the Right to Learn campaign on Friday 30 October 2015. The campaign, which aims to counter deregistration, was initiated following the national #FeesMustFall campaign, which gained momentum after students from the University of Witwatersrand first mobilised against the proposed fee increases for 2016.

The SRC’s Projects Committee realised that, although President Jacob Zuma had consented to a 0% increment, the lack of an increase would not eliminate the financial burden currently facing some students.

“The campaign was conceived at the SRC’s strategic planning meeting, and is now spearheaded by the SRCs Projects Committee,” said Letsika Leqoalane, SRC: Academic Affairs. “The campaign was founded on the university's value of ‘Superior Scholarship’ and the SRC’s value of reducing student financial exclusions,” he added.

Students in pursuit of continued access to education

The Right to Learn campaign was established as a supplementary initiative to the #FeesMustFall movement. “The Right to Learn campaign is an initiative to raise funds for students who are facing financial exclusion in the coming year,” said the SRC Academics Affairs officer.

All proceeds will be channeled towards reducing the number of students who will face de-registration in 2016, the SRC textbook bursary, and food bursaries. “This campaign stands on three pillars, namely: no to de-registration, no to student food insecurity, and yes to textbooks,” explained Leqoalane.

A call for support

According to SRC President, Lindokuhle Ntuli, “SRC members have made pledges of no less than R500 each from their own pockets.” The SRC is appealing to the UFS community to make donations into the campaign bank account, and thereafter to email the proof of payment to Ntuli at NtuliL@ufs.ac.za. The account details are:

Account number: 15-7085-0721 ABSA Bank Branch
Reference: SRC FUND
Branch Code: 632005 Cheque Account
Swift code: ABSAZAJJ

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