“Cancer can affect anyone, it doesn’t matter how fit or clean-living you are.”
These are the words of well-known Germiston athletics coach Stephané Kotzé.
He has been a coach at Germiston Callies Harriers for 38 years.
During the past year, Stephané took on the fight against colon cancer and won.
“I was diagnosed on September 14, last year, with colon cancer,” he said.
“It was an extremely emotional day for me and I felt as if death was approaching.”
Stephané had visited the doctor as his stomach had been feeling a bit different.
“I had a scope and they found a tumour on my colon which was cancerous.
“I then went to Prof Lutrin at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre and had to undergo five weeks of tests,” Stephané said.
“On October 18, last year, I underwent a six-hour operation to remove the tumour.
“While they were doing the operation they also found a tumour on one of my lymph nodes and removed it.”
Stephané was then told he would need eight chemotherapy sessions, the first of which started on November 30.
“Each session took three hours, and after the first one, I thought well this is not so bad, I don’t feel so terrible.
“But it got worse following every chemo session,” he said.
Stephané, however, did not allow the fact that he had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy get him down.
“I continued with my life as normal, which included coaching all my athletes,” he said.
He specialises in training athletes for the 100m, 200m, 400m, hurdles and long jump.
Stephané has lived in Parkhill Gardens with his wife of 38 years, Roelien, for over 20 years.
He was born in Steynsburg in the Eastern Cape and attended primary school there.
The family then moved to Cradock and he went to Cradock Boys’ High School.
He moved once again and attended Hoër Volkskool in Potchefstroom for his matric year.
“I was always an outstanding athlete, from primary school days.
“I never lost a race (100m and 200m) or long jump event throughout my school career,” he said.
“At one stage in high school my coach asked me to try triple jump and I broke the SA record.”
He was also an excellent rugby player and played for the first team in matric.
Once Stephané completed his schooling, he studied at Potchefstroom University and Potchefstroom Teachers College and became a history teacher.
Over the years he built himself up to the position of HOD and was one of five teachers in the old Transvaal Education Department to receive a medal for outstanding achievement in teaching.
While he was studying and working he represented SA as a South African champion athlete.
“I unfortunately never got to participate overseas due to the political climate, but now as a coach, I deliver athletes in all divisions in the world,” Stephané said.
After his official retirement from teaching in 1997, Stephané was still involved with a number of schools on their governing bodies and coached athletes at Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen, Laerskool Delville, Laerskool Elsburg and Hoërskool Goudrif.
He has been with Hoërskol Goudrif for the last six-and-a-half years, training their athletes and leading them triumphantly to their 13th inter-high athletics win earlier in the year.
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“I am grateful to Hoërskool Goudrif for supporting me during my fight against cancer,” he said.
Stephané has coached 65 South African champion athletes and 33 Protea and Springbok athletes at Germiston Stadium.
“I believe I must just do it.
“God gave me the talent as an athlete to become an SA champion and now I give back by coaching for the love of the sport and to help children,” he said.
“I coach the basics and do things in the old ‘boere manier’, and I am lucky enough to get results out of it.
“I am happy for what I have achieved in my coaching career.”
After Stephané’s cancer diagnosis and operation, he only took three weeks off before he started coaching again.
“I couldn’t leave my athletes.
“Luckily one of my former athletes, Leizel Claasen, assisted while I was off,” he said.
He recalled how he went for his fourth chemo session on February 6 and on February 8 was at inter-high, coaching the Hoërskool Goudrif athletes to victory.
He underwent his final chemotherapy session on May 3.
He had a CT scan on June 5 and was given the all clear and two weeks ago he had a sonar which confirmed that he was cancer free.
“I am still recovering and I do suffer from some problems with my feet due to the chemotherapy, sometimes you will see me coaching in my socks,” joked Stephané.
“But I am receiving treatment for them.”
Stephané told the GCN he was adamant that cancer would not get him down and he wants people to know that they can fight against the disease and win.
“My wife has been my biggest support throughout,” Stephané said.
“When I was feeling a bit negative she would build me up with positivity.
“When I started the chemo, I would say to myself, ‘This is just the first jump in the SA champs, you will make it through’, and it worked.”
Stephané said the biggest thing a person with a cancer diagnosis should do is remain positive.
“You mustn’t lay down, you must fight it, and you can win,” he said.
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