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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

Bloemfontein Campus gets ready for Kleinsêr
2013-07-30

11 July 2013

Kleinsêr poster (pdf)

Excitement is mounting on the Bloemfontein Campus, with residences getting ready to battle it out in this year’s Kleinsêr competition. The finals of the Bloemfontein-McDonald’s Kovsie Kleinsêr take place on 3 August 2013, with campus and city residences showcasing their singing, dancing and acting talent.

Leading up to the finals of the competition, Kleinsêr rotations will take place on 31 July and 1 August 2013. As with Stagedoor earlier this year, rotations will take place in the Student Life Colleges format, with new residences, House ConLaurês and House Outeniqua, joining the festivities.

Female residences kick their Kleinsêr campaign off first, with their rotations on 31 July. Rotations for male residences take place the following day.

The top male and female residence will represent the university at the national finals at the North-West University’s Potchefstroom Campus on 31 August 2013.

Tickets on sale at Offices 46 and 48, Thakaneng Bridge

Kovsie Church: R30
Scaena: R50
Odeion: R80

For more information, please contact Tonderai Chiyindiko at +27(0)51 401 9876 or Chiyindikot@ufs.ac.za.

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