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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

Kovsies, get ready, it’s Extravaganza time
2014-09-02

It is time for the 2014 Kovsie Extravaganza, happening on 27 September – and it is going to be huge! 

The Kovsie Extravaganza is the university’s main highlight of the year on the arts and culture calendar. The aim of the event is to showcase the very best of Kovsies’ musical, dance, poetry and other talents on a grand stage in a full production.

This is where our students can experience what being a star and being part of a huge show is all about – hence the ‘Extravaganza’ element!

As every year, guest artists who are at the top of their game will feature as the main act. For 2014, there’s a load of excitement around the award-winning and youthful a cappella trio, The Soil, who will be gracing the stage. It is also an honour that the Free State Youth Orchestra, which is made up of some of the most talented students at our Odeion School of Music, will be performing as part of the show for 2014.

The Kovsie Extravaganza promises lots of thrills, excitement and a platform to celebrate who we are as a university, through song and dance. The university is also grateful to PACOFS for partnering with us and providing their expertise in making this event a resounding success.

Buy your tickets at Office no. 8 at the Thakaneng Bridge on our Bloemfontein Campus or at the PACOFS box office at the Sand du Plessis Theatre.

Ticket Prices:
Students (with student cards) – R50
Non-students – R80

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