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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

New challenges for animal science discussed

2006-04-04

Some of the guests attending the congress were from the left Dr Heinz Meissner (honorary president of the South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) and senior manager at the Animal Production Institute of the Agricultural Research Council), Mr Paul Bevan (President of SASAS) and Prof Magda Fourie (Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the UFS).
Photo: Lacea Loader

New challenges for animal science discussed

The South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) is presenting its 41st Congress at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The congress started yesterday and will run until Thursday 6 April 2006. The theme is New challenges for the animal science industries.

It is one of the largest congresses in the 45 years since SASAS was founded in 1961. Among the delegates 12 African countries are represented, with the biggest delegation from Kenya. Delegates are also from the United States of America, Iran, Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal and African countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.

“Many of our members play an important role in the training of animal scientists at universities. The congress is specifically industry orientated so that scientists can interact with farmers through the respective producer organisations,” said Prof HO de Waal, Chairperson of the organising committee and lecturer at the UFS Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences.

According to Dr Heinz Meissner, honorary president of SASAS and a senior manager at the Animal Production Institute of the Agricultural Research Council, the National Livestock Strategy (NLS) Plan clarifies the role and responsibility of the livestock sector.

“Through this strategy we need to focus on enhancing equitable access and participation in livestock agriculture, improve global competitiveness and profitability of the livestock sector and ensure that the ventures implemented do not over utilise our resources,” said Dr Meissner.

In her welcoming address, Prof Magda Fourie, Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the UFS highlighted the related challenges that the UFS will be focusing on specifically over the next five years. “We have identified five strategic clusters that represent broad areas of excellence in research and post-graduate education. Two of these are food production, quality and safety for Africa and sustainable development,” she said.

“The food safety and security cluster will focus on the production of food in all its varieties within the African context, encompassing the entire value chain – from production to consumption and nutrition related issues. This would include a strong emphasis on sustainable production systems,” she said.

According to Prof Fourie the rural development cluster will engage in questions around the role of higher education in sustainable development. “One of the focus areas in this strategic cluster pertains to sustainable livelihoods. It refers to a way of approaching development that incorporates all aspects of human livelihoods and means by which people obtain them,” she said.

Prof Fourie said that the challenges we are facing such as food production can only be effectively addressed through collaborative efforts. “That is why it is important that collaboration takes place between different scientific disciplines, researchers, institutions and countries who are confronted with similar difficulties,” she said.

According to Prof de Waal the congress will give key role players a unique opportunity to present a profile of what they perceive an animal scientist should be and state their specific requirement regarding the animal sciences and its applications.

“In this way we can determine what the industry’s needs are and we can re-align our curriculum to suit these needs,” said Prof de Waal.

During the next two days, various areas of interest will be discussed. This includes ruminant and monogastric nutrition, animal physiology, beef, dairy, sheep and ostrich breeding and sustainable farming covering the range from commercial to the small-scale farming level.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
4 April 2006

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