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Molemo Mohapi completes Comrades Marathon at first attempt after suffering a soccer injury

13 September 2022 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied

The end seemed certain for his participation in sport when Molemo Mohapi, Chief Officer: ICT Services and 2022 Comrades Marathon medallist, broke his leg playing in the University of the Free State (UFS) Division for Organisational Development and Employee Well-being’s annual 7-A-Side Soccer Festival in 2012.

Believing that he may never play sport again, Molemo thanks Arina Engelbrecht, UFS Employee Well-being Specialist for asking, ‘who said you cannot participate in sport anymore?’ Molemo said: “Arina advised me to treat my leg, get help from a physiotherapist, and then it took me nine years to participate in the Comrades Marathon.”

Even though Molemo had never been involved in athletics before the injury, adopting and adjusting to running was not a challenge, as he started walking up and down Naval Hill to ‘gain confidence and passion.’

Molemo, who has never been ‘worried about age’, also thanks his brother who was into athletics for watching races with him; after watching a race, he wanted to emulate the international runners. His favourite athlete is the American 1992 Olympic two-time gold medallist, Quincy Watts.

Scared but pushed by desire and willingness

Molemo said: “I was scared to do the marathons, but gradually I started participating in 5 km, 10 km, 21 km, and 42 km races. To condition and get myself ready for the 2020 Comrades Marathon, I participated in the KFC PE City Marathon, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, and the Soweto Marathon. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Comrades was cancelled.”

Faced with disappointment following the cancellation of the 2020 Comrades Marathon, Molemo and his two friends – Ben Kokela and Disema Ntsasa – focused on the 2022 Kloppers Marathon, helping them to qualify for the Two Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon.

Molemo said: “We had to adjust and told ourselves that as soon as it was open again, we would start training. During COVID-19, I did not rest as I was running in the backyard, doing 30-40 minutes every Monday to Wednesday. Family support is key, one also needs to do justice to your body, prepare mentally for the race, and not compete with athletes who are doing it for money.”

“Never doubt yourself; after running the 56 km Two Oceans Marathon, I told myself – I am now left with 34 km to complete the Comrades. I just worked on that, and the confidence was high. I was more relaxed than scared.”

Completing the marathon in less than 11 hours and 24 minutes, Molemo thanks Durban people for their support, as they ‘make you feel part of the family.’

Molemo said: “What I learnt from the race is consistency in women – if they plan to run seven minutes per km, that is exactly what they do.”

He thanks his wife, Neo Rantsane, for encouraging and supporting him to run the marathon.

News Archive

Conference on religion and reconciliation

2011-07-25

At the conference were, from the left, front: Dr Frank Chikane, President of AFM International; Dr Mathole Motshekga, Chief Whip of the ANC; at the back: Rev. Maniraj Sukdaven, Head of our Department of Religion Studies; and Dr Alan Boesak, connected to our International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice, as well as a minister in the United Reformed Church.

In recent times, reconciliation has mainly been politically driven, Dr Alan Boesak stated during a conference on religion and reconciliation. He was one of a number of prominent academic leaders from various religions who participated in the conference: Exploring religious understanding for reconciliation.The conference was presented by our Faculty of Theology and the International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice at our university this week.

According to Dr Boesak, a theologian connected to our International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice, reconciliation means much more than simply former enemies no longer attacking or killing one another; they also have co-exist with a positive attitude towards one another.

Speakers from, amongst others, the Christian, Jewish, Baha’i, Rastafarian, Islam and Buddhist religious communities shared their views on reconciliation with one another.Most of these speakers referred to the special value of humankind in each religion. A person’s life has a supernatural dimension, which ought to play a major role in the way in which people treat one another.

Dr Frank Chikane, President of AFM International, as well as a speaker at the event, stated that the religious community should and had to be more active in discussions about reconciliation.“If religious leaders do not talk about current issues, all kinds of voices with distorted perspectives will be heard instead,” Dr Chikane added.

Reconciliation can only truly take place if the contribution of each group in society is taken seriously. Apart from the high premium placed on rights in society, duties that have to be fulfilled should also be emphasised. Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana from the Ethiopian Episcopal Church is of the opinion that this sense of duty should be established in people’s frame of mind. Adv. Antony Osler pointed out from a Buddhist perspective how important it was to deal with reconciliation by living up to its principles.

Rev. Maniraj Sukdaven, Head of our Department of Religion Studies, is very satisfied with the high quality of the contributions during the conference.

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