Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
22 September 2021
|
Story Michelle Nöthling
|
Photo Supplied
Annemarie Le Roux.
“I love working with children.” This is one of the first things Annemarie le Roux mentions when asked to describe herself. This love for children propelled Annemarie into the field of education and she graduated in 2006 with a BEd in Foundation Phase at the UFS. Annemarie immediately immersed herself in the Deaf community, enriching the lives of children at the Thiboloha School for the Deaf in Qwaqwa and the De la Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester.
The academic world enticed Annemarie back to the University of the Free State (UFS) and she was appointed as a junior lecturer in the Department of South African Sign Language (SASL) and Deaf Studies in 2013. Going from strength to strength, Annemarie completed her master’s degree in SASL in 2019, and published an
article earlier this year that she co-wrote with Marga Stander. In this article, they found that SASL “has become an increasingly popular language that hearing university students want to learn as a second language” and subsequently explored different teaching methods used for this emerging group of interested students.
Although now firmly established in academia, Annemarie is still committed to the practical application of SASL. “I am closely involved in student and community engagement through the
SIGNALS Sign Language student association that helps empower the Deaf community and South African Sign Language.” She also interprets for the Deaf community whenever she gets an opportunity, as well as for Deaf students in class and meetings.
On the importance of Sign Language and the recognition of the Deaf community in South Africa, Annemarie believes it will open greater opportunities for development. “More people will be able to learn SASL, and it might even become a subject in school for hearing children.”
Wayde one of the Adidas faces for Rio 2016
2015-11-20
Wayde van Niekerk has not only been nominated for two awards at the SA Sports Awards. He will also be one of the Adidas world ambassadors for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Photo: Johan Roux |
Wayde van Niekerk’s face may already adorn billboards at Pellies Park on the Bloemfontein Campus and other places around the University of the Free State, but it will now also be used for marketing campaigns worldwide.
The Kovsie athlete will be one of the Adidas world ambassadors for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Adidas is sponsoring him.
According to a modest Van Niekerk, he has been with the clothing sponsor since 2010, and it is a great honour to be an ambassador for the Olympics in Rio
Other awards
After a dream year, being an Adidas ambassador is the latest honour to come his way.
He was also nominated for two awards in the SA Sports Awards, which will be held in the Sand du Plessis Theatre in Bloemfontein on Sunday 22 November 2015. He was nominated as Sportsman of the Year and in the People’s Choice category.
On 21 October 2015, Van Niekerk was named KovsieSport’s Sportsman of the Year for a third consecutive year.
He was recently also honoured at the Free State Schools Athletics Association’s Gold Medal event.
A world superstar
Van Niekerk says it’s good to be part of the legacy Adidas is building as a company.
“It is exciting for me, knowing that I am selected among such great athletes (being an Adidas ambassador), and not just South African athletes, but world athletes,” he says.
“It is the likes of the top Adidas athletes that are going to represent the company and be ambassadors for the company.”
“It is something I am looking forward to – being on posters and seeing my face on billboards and advertisements.”