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UFS’s Louzanne Coetzee selected to SASCOC Athletes Commission

01 April 2025 | Story Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Supplied

Louzanne Coetzee, a Paralympian and trailblazer in South African sport, has always embodied resilience, determination, and a passion for pushing boundaries. Recently, Coetzee achieved another milestone in her career – being selected to serve on the Athletes Commission of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) for the next Olympic and Paralympic cycle. For Coetzee, this recognition is not just a personal achievement but an opportunity to drive meaningful change for athletes, particularly those with disabilities.

“Being selected as part of the SASCOC Athletes Commission is a great privilege,” she says. “It gives me the opportunity to represent athletes at the SASCOC level and take their issues forward. I was part of the previous commission, and I look forward to building on the work we have already started.”

As a visually impaired (classification T11) athlete with a distinguished career, Coetzee’s experiences inform her approach to this new role. Although she is not directly part of the SASCOC board, her seat on the Athletes Commission allows her to act as a crucial advocate for athletes, contributing to decisions that impact South African sport. “The commission will have its training soon, and we will learn more about our new responsibilities there,” she explains. “But my focus is clear: I want to improve classification opportunities for para-athletes and contribute towards enhancing high-performance athlete support in South Africa.”

Her vision extends beyond just the athletes she represents – she recognises the unique challenges that athletes with disabilities face. “The drive to succeed needs to come from within. You, as an athlete, are responsible for your performance, and that mindset is essential,” Coetzee says. She adds that the commission hosts athlete indabas, where athletes can voice their concerns and share the challenges they face. “We will continue to address these issues and work towards solutions that make a real difference.”

Coetzee has a clear message for young athletes with disabilities: “Your drive for success needs to be part of who you are. You alone control whether you succeed. And when challenges arise, don’t be afraid to voice them and seek assistance. Be creative in finding solutions to your unique challenges.”

Her advice extends beyond the competitive arena. After balancing a successful athletic and academic career with leadership aspirations, she emphasises the importance of time management for those seeking to excel both in sport and leadership. “It might be hard to do both, but it’s achievable if you plan properly,” she says, offering valuable guidance for aspiring athletes who wish to follow in her footsteps.

Her passion for improving inclusivity and accessibility in South African sport drives her to advocate for greater awareness of para-sports. “I want more people to know these athletes and support them on their journey,” she says. “There needs to be more awareness regarding para-sport, and as athletes we need to speak up. If we don’t, things won’t change for the betterment of us as athletes.”

Despite her incredible achievements, Coetzee remains motivated by a simple love for her sport. “I really enjoy what I do. It’s not just a job; it’s a passion,” she says. She also emphasises the importance of diverse representation on boards like SASCOC. “It’s vital that athletes have a say in the decision-making processes that impact their careers,” she says. “If we don’t speak up, things won’t change.”

Her success is also a testament to the support and opportunities she has received throughout her journey. “Everyone at the University of the Free State (UFS), especially KovsieSport and the Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS), has played a major role in my success,” she says. “The support has helped me compete at the highest level while remaining academically strong. I am truly honoured to be backed by such a great institution.”

Finally, Coetzee calls on the public to help raise awareness and support for athletes with disabilities. “Show support for these athletes, be interested in the sports they play, and watch Paralympic sports when available. Be vocal about your support, as that can make a huge difference in recognition and opportunity,” she encourages.

As Louzanne Coetzee continues to break barriers and inspire others, her commitment to improving the lives of athletes, especially those with disabilities, remains unwavering. Through her leadership on the SASCOC Athletes Commission, she is not just advocating for athletes today but also paving the way for future generations to succeed in an inclusive and supportive sporting environment.

News Archive

Address by the first Inaugural President of the Central SRC

2005-08-03

The UFS Central SRC

Address by the first Inaugural President of the Central SRC of the University of the Free State, Mr Tello Motloung on Wednesday 3 August 2003

The Chairperson of the UFS Council, Judge Faan Hancke,
The Vice-chancellor and Rector of the UFS, Prof Frederick Fourie
The Vice-Rector Student Affairs of the UFS, Dr Ezekiel Moraka
The Presidents of the main campus SRC and the Vista campus SRC
Colleagues in the Central SRC, campus SRCs, students and fellow South Africans

Please receive my heartfelt revolutionary greetings

Vice-chancellor and rector what I bring here with me assisted by facts, is just the work of my imagination. Like a love letter addressed to a sweetheart miles away, even though you do not know how she feels, what she wants to hear, and do not even know what she looks like.

I value speech as just an honest intimation, that’s why I got into a habit of establishing a dialogue with people, looking at each other’s face, and persuading one another of what we are saying.

Vice-chancellor, today marks an important milestone in the history of the existence of the UFS. Today reflects the confidence and trust that students of the UFS have placed in us. They are confident that the Central SRC has both the will and the capacity to take our university forward as we confront the challenge of transformation.

Students are confident that they are correct to trust the Central SRC as the principal agent of change in our university that is genuinely committed to the objective of building a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic university. We need to frankly ask ourselves, as CSRC members, whether are we up to all these challenges?

All Central SRC members have to understand this fully, internalize it, and ensure that everything we do, does not betray the confidence and trust of students, or disappoint their expectations. I say this knowing that all Central SRC members have committed themselves to serve the students of the UFS, black and white, and no one among us (CSRC) needs any special lectures about this central commitment.

The UFS should be an omnibus, welcoming everybody on board. But we should be a bus with a clear direction. We will certainly lose our way if we, as an institution, don’t have a clear road map spelling out where we are heading to.

There should be clear guidelines on the role of students in the transformation process. Students should also be viewed as role players in transformation along with the University management, and not just opposing forces. There is no right time, other than this one, to move away from the politics of opposition to politics of transformation.

However, we need the support of management to do so. The University should value the role and contribution of student leaders, hear our legitimate claims and consider them as part of political and policy decision making.

Vice-chancellor and Rector, it remains our task to ensure that the UFS is transformed into an institution that is seen to be playing a vigilant role in developing students academically, intellectually, socially, culturally, politically and otherwise. The process of transformation is not ending tonight, it is just beginning tonight.

Judge Hancke, Prof Fourie, Dr Moraka, fellow students and fellow South Africans, I lead students at this university with a sense of pride and duty, and I know very well that I lead men and women, students who are all determined that we reach our destination safely and on time.

A navy divided within its ranks will be destroyed and vanquished by the enemy, but the navy united in purpose and action, loyalty and commitment will not sink but sail on to victory.

It is befitting to mention that every drop of my blood is telling me that the UFS is my home. I firstly became a student here, I became the SRC treasurer in my first year here, I became the deputy president here, and I became the first president of the Central SRC of the UFS.

Therefore you should never doubt my commitment towards the transformation of this university. To paraphrase what was said by students at another institution, “If there is no UFS in heaven, then I am not going.”

Let me conclude by thanking my ancestors for teaching me that even if I wined and dined with kings and queens, I am not a king myself, so I should not turn my back on people who made me what I am today.

Most importantly, I would like to thank the Almighty God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for giving me time and power to lead this university.

It will be theoretically irresponsible if I ended my speech without indicating that “Only a Kovsie knows the feeling”.

I thank you.

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