Local hockey player makes Olympic dream debut
She said that her inspiration has always been her mum who would often say to her, "Bophelo ke ntwa" (life is a fight and struggle).
Tuks hockey player Lerato Mahole recently made her Olympic debut just over two weeks ago in Tokyo, Japan.
The 21-year-old University of Pretoria student represented SA in the Olympics where the team finished at bottom of the pool after losing all five games.
She said her inspiration has always been her mum who would often say to her, “Bophelo ke ntwa”. In the Tswana language, it means life is a fight and struggle.
“My mum is truly inspirational. She is highly independent. She stands up literally to anyone and for everything she believes in. From when I can remember, she has been telling me never to buckle down in what is traditionally a men’s world. Her advice is always to fight for what you want in life.”
When Mahole was young, it was football that got her adrenaline pumping.
She never missed out on any opportunity to kick the ball around.
“I mostly played with the boys. On any good day, I could out-dribble the best. Unfortunately, growing up in Klerksdorp there was no opportunity for girls to play seriously.
“Someone suggested that I take up hockey as it is basically the same as playing football with a stick. I immediately loved it, especially since I got the opportunity to play competitively,” she said.
As we prepare for match 2 for the Womens team here's a shout out to our debutants who played vs Ireland on Saturday – Lerato Mahole, Charne Maddocks and Edith Molikoe
📸Anton Geyser and Yan Huckendubler#hockeyinvites #StrongerTogether #bringingbackubuntu #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/EtOcYtDUsp
— SA Hockey (@SA_Hockey) July 26, 2021
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