Motsepe Foundation’s Post

"I don't really think about other people's opinions or expectations. The only ones I have are that of myself, to improve and get better." 🙌 - Emma Raducanu, British tennis player Choosing to prioritize one's own opinions over those of others can be empowering, leading to a greater sense of self-confidence and authenticity. It allows individuals to stay true to their beliefs, values, and goals without being swayed by external influences. While considering others' perspectives can be valuable, there are times when trusting in one's own judgment is essential for personal growth and fulfillment. 🌟 "Emma Raducanu is a British professional tennis player. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 10 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) on 11 July 2022, and is a former British No. 1. Raducanu is the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships. Raducanu was born in Toronto and raised in London. She made her WTA Tour debut on 10 June 2021. With a wildcard entry at Wimbledon, ranked outside the top 300, she reached the fourth round in her first major tournament. At the 2021 US Open, Raducanu became the first qualifier in the Open Era to win a major singles title, beating Leylah Fernandez in the final without dropping a set during the tournament. It was the second major tournament of her career, and she holds the Open Era record for the fewest majors played before winning a title." - Wikipedia #MondayMotivation #Motivation #Inspiration #Empowerment #Confidence #Authenticity #Unique #Growth #Fulfillment #Quotes

Just Read: A Golden Slam winner (Wheelchair Tennis Grand Slam + Paralympics Gold in the same year, 2021), Wheelchair Basketball Paralympics gold medallist (2008), Australian of the Year (2022), Logie Award Winner (2019) … and the list goes on. Dylan Alcott’s trophy cabinet is either very large or very full. Probably both. His book ‘Able’ is in part the story behind the rise of an elite athlete, and across two sports - basketball and tennis. That includes intense rivalries, such as that with the US’s David Wagner on the tennis court. But it is, of course, also the story of a person born and living with a disability, and becoming a leading disability advocate. Someone passionate about normalising / mainstreaming disability and giving people living with a disability the opportunity to fulfil their full potential - including employment - and to achieve their own dreams, as he has done. Someone committed to promoting the wider inclusion and representation of people with a disability, including a better recongition across Australian society of their needs and capacity. To that end, ‘Able’ explores the awakening in Alcott of this potential role and ambition, and as his sporting success and public profile grew. These two themes are interwoven throughout the book, ranging from the ingredients for success in the sporting arena through to the unrelenting pursuit of enjoying life to its fullest, from crowd surfing at music concerts, adventures in Southeast Asia, public speaking and media commentary. But ‘Able’ is also a story of considerable vulnerability, and how Alcott stared into those challenges - including bullying - as well as highlighting the many figures that have shaped and influenced his success, no group more so than his immediate family. But also others such as Craig Tiley at Tennis Australia in building the profile and opportunity for wheelchair tennis. It is also an account of many amusing tales (not to mention the Roger Federer locker room ‘encounter’), all written with Alcott’s trademark humour and candour. #disabilityinclusion #disabilityawareness #eliteathletes Dylan Alcott Foundation #bookreview #advocacy #leadership

Hello, all I am very pleased to say that another article has come out. This time building on my experiences as an international touch rugby player. It was a real labour of love and I am very pleased to have been able to write something on the topic. ‘It’s always on’. Rituals and social structure within an international touch rugby team Abstract: This article investigates the processes of group formation. Utilising a ritual framework, it looks at how the Sweden Touch (rugby) team formed and bonded together to compete in the 2022 European Championships. Based on autoethnographic data, I focus on the role of rituals in bonding players as a group within Team Sweden and with the wider Touch community, contributing to creation of the space within which matches took place. This space is analysed with Mary Douglas-derived theory of sociocultural viability. Utilising the theory’s typology of social solidarities, I track the changing forms of social relations within the groups. I argue that the player-group was initially structured as an individualist network, which morphed into a hierarchical group through the actions of participants. Subsequently, an alternative egalitarian social organisation manifested among players, at times contesting the dominant social orderings. These changes are observable in the ritual activities of the player group. #rugby #culturaltheory #sports #anthropology #sociology #rituals https://lnkd.in/dR_6xzQS

A story about what means to be resilient.

Age is Just a Number - That too Irrelevant In a stunning turn of events at the Australian Open 2024 Men's Doubles Final, 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna defied the laws of physics, common sense, and, apparently, the aging process to become the oldest Grand Slam champion in history. As spectators scratched their heads, wondering if they had accidentally time-traveled to a tennis tournament from the early 2000s, Bopanna's victory sent shockwaves through the tennis world, proving that age is indeed just a number – and apparently, a pretty irrelevant one at that. While fans marveled at Bopanna's endurance, some couldn't help but question whether the tournament organizers had mistakenly swapped the men's doubles final with a seniors' exhibition match. Rumors circulated that Bopanna's victory speech included tips on arthritis management and the benefits of early dinner reservations. In a post-match interview, Bopanna casually dismissed the significance of his age, claiming that he was just getting started and considering a career change to competitive hopscotch. As the tennis world tried to wrap its head around the anomaly, motivational speakers seized the opportunity to remind everyone that if a middle-aged tennis player can clinch a Grand Slam title, surely the rest of us can conquer more reasonable challenges like assembling IKEA furniture or mastering the art of not burning microwave popcorn. After all, age is just a number, right? “If your heart stays young; then there is no age to fall in love.” ― Wrushank Sorte #AgeIsJustANumber #BopannaMagic #GrandSlamHistory #TennisTimeTravel #OldestChampion #AustralianOpen2024 #SeniorExhibitionMatchGate #ArthritisTips #HopscotchDreams #MotivationalMonday #OldAge #love

As long as I can remember, there's ALWAYS contentious issues, where women, who are much stronger and better than those they are competing against, win easily, at the Olympics. Usually, The Independent won't get drawn-into it and they leave it for The Sun to spell it out, to unenlightened folk and The Daily Telegraph, to more eloquently debate it, for crusty, University-educated racists. The woman in question biologically, can have kids? Surely, even in the half- baked world we live in, she can compete, against others, who biologically can as well? You don't have to look very far back in the history of Sport, to see ANYONE with multiple Medals, of any age, race or sex who was laughably, so much better than everyone else competing. ANYONE who is any good at sport is a 'Freak'. William (The Fridge) Perry at American Football, Mike Tyson usually won BEFORE the fight, such was his intimidating menace, Miguel Indurain's superior lung capacity at Cycling, Mark Spitz couldn't carry all his Medals, Jona Lomu was CALLED a Freak, by Commentators, Fatima Whitbread easily swept fragile competitors aside, with her vastly superior muscle mass. Will ANYONE be better than Usain Bolt and his stride pattern, a foot longer than anyone else? If we take it to the nth degree, do we ban genetically-superior (for the event) sub-Saharan Africans, from taking part in the Marathon? Good sporting people are genetically different. Of COURSE they are. That's the entire point. Any SENSIBLE person knows The Olympics is badly slanted ANYWAY. Usually because of Drugs or Money.

My take on the South African Olympics team at the moment Watching Team South Africa at the Olympics has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me. The highs have been overshadowed by a series of letdowns, and it's hard not to question the decisions made by our sports administrators. Take Dallas Oberholzer, for example. At 49, his journey to the Olympics was nothing short of inspiring. But finishing 23rd in the prelims has me wondering if we missed a chance to showcase younger talent who might have performed better. Was Dallas the best choice for skateboarding, or could we have given someone else a shot? Our throwers in the discus and shot put have also been disappointing. It’s not just about a few bad performances; these results suggest deeper problems within our athletics programs. Athletes who once had potential are now struggling on the world stage, often falling behind their international competitors. And then there’s Wayde van Niekerk. It’s baffling that he competed in the 200m and ended up last in his semifinal. Why wasn't he running the 400m, where he’s historically excelled? The decision to place him in the 200m instead of the 100m raises serious questions about our athletics administrators’ decision-making. But it’s not all bad news. Edmund du Plessis’ strong performance in the 800m heat and Julia Vincent’s advancement to the diving finals bring some hope. Plus, Jo-Ane van Dyk in the javelin throw and Brian Raats in the high jump are still in contention for medals. These glimpses of promise only highlight the urgent need for change. SASCOC and Athletics South Africa need to seriously rethink their approach. Our athletes have the talent, but without top-notch facilities, coaching, and smart decision-making, they’re set up to fail. If South Africa wants to reclaim its place as a sporting powerhouse, we need to invest in our athletes from a young age and support them properly. Without these changes, we’ll keep facing heartbreaks and falling short on the world stage. As the Olympics continue, let's keep supporting our athletes who are still in the running and push for better from those in charge. Only then can we hope for a brighter future for South African sports. #Olympics2024 #ASA #SASCOC #teamsouthafrica

Our first #sayitnow ambassadors video has dropped #sayitnow2024 #doitnow

I think this is unfair for other women competing in the ##OlympicGames (#Paris2024 and championships in general). This topic raises multiple other questions: * if we allow a woman with modified genotype fight with other woman, maybe we should have only one category: human boxing (rather than male / female)? * if we allow biological modification (sex change etc...) -- should we allow a general doping? * what medical and biological interventions should be allowed if we want to have woman and man category? (natural, "care", cosmetic, behavioural, ...) * similarly to above, maybe we should have 4 or 8 categories (pure biological man, pure biological woman, doped man, doped woman, mixes ...)?