Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Peter Makgato - from despair to medals

22 December 2022 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Anja Aucamp

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

Protest actions planned for 12-14 March 2008

2008-03-13

Three protest actions will take place on the Main Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein this week.

Although the interim court interdict granted to the UFS on 6 March 2008 is still in force, permission for the three protests was granted by the Mangaung Local Municipality and the court, in the presence of the university lawyer. Strict conditions have been set for these protest actions.

The UFS management respects the right to peaceful protest and also shares the sentiment of the protesters regarding the reprehensible Reitz video. However, strict conditions have been set for these protest actions as students are writing tests and the normal academic activities should not be disrupted.

Already the first picket protest took place today, Wednesday, 12 March 2008, by about 300 Satawu and Nehawu members. This was not a march and no memorandum was handed over.

On Thursday, 13 March 2008, Nehawu will again picket in front of the Main Building from 13:00 to 14:00. This event must be peaceful. This too is not a march and no memorandum will be handed over.

On Friday, 14 March 2008, a march of Cosatu and Nehawu will take place, starting in the city centre. The march will enter through the Nelson Mandela Drive gate and will enter the campus grounds.

However, it will be limited to the incoming lane of Chancellors Avenue from the Main Gate to the crossing with Alumni Avenue (in front of the Odeion building). Speeches will be made and a memorandum will be handed over.

It is expected that the march will reach the campus at approximately 10:00 and from then the Nelson Mandela Gate to the UFS will be closed for all traffic. The march must end by 14:00. The marchers will return to the city centre and may cause a traffic problem in Nelson Mandela Drive.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) and the UFS’s Protection Services Division will monitor all these actions. Staff, students and visitors to the campus are kindly requested to use alternative gates to the Nelson Mandela entrance on Friday. Academic activities will continue as normal this week.

Media Release
Issued by: Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 3422
Cell: 072 207 8334
E-mail: fishera.stg@ufs.ac.za
12 March 2008

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept