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22 December 2022 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Anja Aucamp
Peter Makgato
Peter Makgato showed true perseverance in coming back after being out of action for more than a year with an Achilles tendon injury. The Kovsie long jumper won a bronze medal at the South African Championships in 2022.

If it wasn’t for Peter Makgato’s UFS support system, he would have been lost to South African athletics. The road of recovery after a serious injury can be lonesome, but he was never alone.

The promising long jumper had to learn to walk again after the injury to his Achilles tendon and could only compete more than a year after his dreams were shattered in November 2020.

Only months after returning to jumping in 2022, he was winning medals again.

Keeping me focused

“Without KovsieSport, I believe I would have hung up my spikes after that injury,” says Makgato. “Throughout the entire journey back, I had support from my coach (Emmarie Prinsloo; Head of KovsieSport Jumping Academy) and Oom DB (Prinsloo; Head of Athletics at KovsieSport).”

He also praises “the expert medical help” from Kovsie Health and says he went through nothing alone. “My progress was monitored by a team that knew me before the injury and this meant they were able to keep me focused on the progress and not on the injury.”

Although he had injuries before, Makgato says the emotional challenges were much bigger. “What really helped me were a few words from Wayde van Niekerk days after my operation when I went back to the track on crutches. He told me not to lose my head.

“That is the best advice you can give someone in my position. Physically I was broken, I had to make sure that mentally I fought to stay above the waters.”

Bigger goals in mind

He was only able to walk again from May 2021, started rehab in August 2021, and was running properly by December 2021.

He was only able to jump competitively again in March 2022, and a month later claimed a bronze medal at the South African Championships (7,47 m). This was followed by a USSA bronze in May 2022 (7,46 m).

“I had bigger goals in mind. Now that I look back, I realise that for a person who could not even run properly five months before and who had little preparation time, I was doing pretty good.”

And now the Master of Laws student has his sights on bigger things again: The World Athletics Championships next year and the Olympic Games in 2024.

News Archive

UFS appoints advertising agencies
2005-08-19

The University of the Free State (UFS) has awarded its marketing and communication account to a unique joint venture between two advertising agencies.

The agencies involved are the Durban-based TBWA and the Bloemfontein-based agency called C-squared (which stands for Consumer Connectedness).

According to the UFS Director of Marketing, Dr Ivan van Rooyen, the idea of a joint venture came about after a rigorous selection process during which both agencies were short-listed.

“The UFS recognised the synergies that could be developed by having an established agency working together with an emerging agency, which at the same time advances black economic empowerment in the Free State,” Dr van Rooyen said.

He said the UFS was keen to increase awareness locally and nationally about the UFS as a quality institution of higher learning in a very competitive market. The two agencies, he said, are well placed to assist the UFS in achieving this objective.
 
Mr Ben Moseme, chief executive of C-squared, said his agency looked forward to working on the UFS account with TBWA.

Mr Daryl Bennewith of TBWA in Durban says the agency is excited about the opportunity of developing the UFS brand and positioning it for the future.

“We are passionate about the role communication can play in changing perceptions and establishing the UFS as the benchmark for all higher education institutions embracing the challenges of transformation,” Mr Bennewith said.

Media release

Issued by:  Lacea Loader
   Media Representative
   Tel:  (051) 401-2584
   Cell:  083 645 2454
   E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

18 August 2005
 

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