An athlete on a mission
KENSINGTON – Hopewell is inspired by his grandmother to work hard.
Even if life seemed bitter, Hopewell Nkosi (14) from Jeppe High School for Boys found the sweetness in it, by working hard and persevering.
As a cross-country runner, he has been making a name for himself this season winning all five of his races, including the inter-district individual championships. Life has thrown challenges at Hopewell but he has looked beyond them. He lost both parents at a young age and was raised by his grandmother. “My grandmother has been my biggest fan and motivates me to do well,” he said. He is at Jeppe Boys on a Theo Jackson scholarship.
Hopewell said, “I’m grateful for this opportunity to be able to do what I love. I applied for the scholarship and got it, but I also wanted to prove that I deserved it and working hard has paid off.”
His talent as an athlete was spotted by his principal and teachers from Dinwiddie Primary School in Germiston and they helped him apply for the scholarship. Earlier this year, he came 4th in the 3 000m at the Gauteng Track Athletics Championships, narrowly missing out on going to the SA championships.
He said his grandmother inspires him to work hard and he wants to make her proud. “My grandmother was a runner when she was young, but never got the opportunity to compete at a high level. She thanks me for fulfilling the dream that she never got the chance to realise. That motivates me more to carry on working hard and, hopefully winning races, to show my thanks to her and to everyone else who’s been supporting me.”
With the school holidays coming up, Nkosi will be running in club meetings for Soweto’s Boxer Athletics Club. “Keeping fit and training is very important and over the holidays I will be training.”
Read: Jeppe High School for Boys elite athletes perform well at the Gauteng Secondary Schools Athletics Championships
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