Centurion’s teen combat star fights her way to the top

Local martial artist Minette Kruger is proving that grit, resilience, and focus can carry a young athlete from local beginnings to international recognition.

The 19-year-old from Highveld, Centurion, is redefining what it means to be a student athlete, balancing an intense training schedule in wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) with her academic life.

Kruger’s journey began far from the mats and cages where she now competes.

“I grew up in Kimberley in the Northern Cape. I moved to Pretoria when I was 17 and was a learner at Hoërskool Waterkloof,” she said.

Her sporting path started early with traditional school sports, such as hockey, netball, and dance.

But in July 2017, everything changed.

“One of my mother’s friends suggested wrestling for my brother, who has ADHD, and I was curious. I attended one class, and that is how I started,” she said.

Kruger’s introduction to MMA came a few years later during the lockdown.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, I spent a lot of time on my phone. One day, I saw a post about Conor McGregor and I looked him up. I saw that he did MMA, and I liked it. So I started in 2021.”

She began taking wrestling seriously in 2019 and that same year competed at the ISF Combat Games in Budapest, Hungary.

In 2022, she advanced in MMA and went on to represent South Africa at the MMA Youth World Championships in Abu Dhabi.

Among her proudest achievements is winning bronze in the senior women’s 62kg division at the 2024 African Wrestling Championships.

“I was the first woman in eight years to win a medal for South Africa,” she said.

Kruger also competed in the Olympic Qualifiers that same year.

However, her journey along the way has not been easy.

“Moving so far away from my parents at a young age was hard.

“But what motivated me is that they did it so that I can achieve my dreams in wrestling and MMA,” she added.

In 2024, her career was threatened by a serious knee injury. She tore her anterior cruciate ligament during her international tour, which required surgery and a full year of recovery.

“I have been struggling with the injury since 2021, but during my international tour, I tore it completely. I had surgery in May 2024 and had to do rehab. I am still not fully recovered, but I am moving forward,” she said.

She credits her biokineticist, Jonathan Lottering, with keeping her mentally strong.

“He helped me through the days I felt off.”

Despite her physical challenges, Kruger continues to dream big.

“I want to compete at the 2028 Olympics for wrestling, and I also want to become a professional fighter in the UFC,” she said.

Now enrolled at the New Graduate Institute (NGI) in Centurion, Kruger is balancing her studies in sport management with daily rehabilitation, wrestling, and MMA training.

“I have classes during the day, rehab in the afternoon, and then training until eight in the evening. When I get home, I study until late,” she said.

“My qualification has helped me become a better athlete and coach. It teaches me how athletes should behave, how to communicate better with kids when coaching, and helps me understand my body during training.”

Kruger’s support system plays a major role in her journey.

“My parents and friends have always been there for me. Even when we do not see each other often, I can count on them,” she said.

She also honours her late coach, Nico Coetzee, and current mentors Shane and Sloane Goosen of the Centurion Warriors Wrestling Club.

Being a role model is a responsibility Kruger embraces.

“It means the world to me that there are girls who look up to me. I want to show the world that a woman can do anything,” she said.

She shared some advice for young athletes who also have dreams of making it big one day.

“Even when it looks like your dreams will not come true, keep moving forward. Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard. Do it tired, do it unmotivated, do it on your worst days, and you will succeed.”

NGI spokesperson Timothy Verne said the institution is proud to celebrate Kruger as one of its rising stars.

“Minette is an extraordinarily talented and driven first-year student whose work ethic and dedication to mixed martial arts and her studies are making her stand out in the ring and the classroom,” Verne said.

He added that she will proudly represent NGI on the hockey field and make her amateur MMA debut at Versus in November.

“Minette is a true trailblazer, an inspiration, and an example to her peers, embodying what can happen when you work hard and pursue your purpose with passion to create success,” he said.

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