Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
01 May 2023 | Story Tobias van den Bergh

During May this year, the University of the Free State Department of Student Counselling and Development (SCD) invites all staff and students to play an active part in their own mental health. Every day. You can do one small thing each day towards better mental health. That is why the campaign is called DoDay – do something today and make it a do day. 
Remember that maintaining mental well-being is like brushing your teeth, so we recommend it daily!

For 30 days, doable mental health activities will be shared on the SCD Instagram and Facebook pages. You will be invited to participate in the activity and share your experience online. We encourage you to take up the challenge and share the skills for better mental health. 

Be successful
As we approach the mid-year exams where staff and students experience added pressure and anxiety, it is the perfect time to dedicate 10 to 15 minutes daily to your mental health. Each week, we will focus on five different mental health building blocks: social wellness, emotional wellness, intellectual wellness, physical wellness, and spiritual wellness. By participating in the different activities each day, you will cover all the different wellness areas. 

Be informed
During the campaign, we will also release insightful podcast interviews with experts who share their personal and professional experiences of each wellness area. It is no secret that communities are stronger together. Let us all work towards collectively improving our mental well-being and supporting one another on this journey. 

Be happy
Improved mental health supports your professional and academic performance. It also helps you to make better decisions and enjoy life more. Improving your mental well-being has never been easier than following the DoDay calendar. You will receive clear guidelines on what to do each day, and you can mark off your progress and share your activities as you go. 

Be a DoDayer

Remember that maintaining mental well-being is like brushing your teeth, so we recommend it daily! Join the UFS Mental Health DoDay drive and take one small daily action for 30 days towards better mental health. Download your 30-day DoDay calendar here and remember to share and inspire others on Instagram. Make every day a Mental Health DoDay!

News Archive

Wayde keeps winning off the track
2016-11-24

Description: 'Accolades Wayde Tags: Accolades Wayde

Wayde van Niekerk won an accolade as the
best male athlete at the Olympic Games in
Rio de Janeiro. He received the award at the
Association of National Olympic Committees
awards.
Photo: Johan Roux.

Although Wayde van Niekerk hasn’t competed in several months, the golden boy still keeps winning off the track. The 400 m Olympic champion has been shining ever since his feat at the Olympic Games, with awards such as the best male athlete in Rio de Janeiro.

Nominated for IAAF and SA Sports Awards

He is also a finalist for the 2016 IAAF World Athlete of the Year and has been nominated for three awards (Sport Star of the Year, Sportsman of the Year, and the People’s Choice Award) at the South African Sports Awards. The IAAF winner will be announced on 2 December 2016 in Monaco and the SA Sports Awards take place on 27 November 2016 in Bloemfontein.

The athlete from the University of the Free State is one of six nominees – three male and three female – for the IAAF award. The high jumper Hestrie Cloete (2003) is the only South African who has won this award.

Van Niekerk won all three above-mentioned awards at the SA Sports Awards in 2015. Tannie Ans Botha, his coach, is nominated as Coach of the Year.

Accolades keep rolling in for Kovsie star

Van Niekerk’s performance in Rio, where he won the 400 m in a world-record time of 43,03 seconds, resulted in him being chosen as the best male athlete at the Association of National Olympic Committees awards on 15 November 2016 in Doha, Qatar.

The 24-year-old Kovsie has also received numerous other accolades in 2016. He was KovsieSport’s Sportsman of the Year for a fourth consecutive year and received an Ambassador’s Award at the Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards. Botha was given an Executive Management Award at the same function.

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