A 19-year-old Soshanguve teenager wants to show other township kids that where they come from should never stop them from chasing their dreams.
Tap here to download the FREE Daily Sun App
Bohlale Nthoroane, a Grade 11 learner at Soshanguve East Secondary School, recently won a bronze medal at the Excellence Era Cup held at Edenvale High School.
He came third in the Statics Battle, competing against athletes from across Gauteng. He impressed with his strength and ability to hold difficult bodyweight positions, including the full planche.
Bohlale said he discovered calisthenics after watching people from overseas training on bars on TikTok.
“I saw guys from overseas training on bars using only their body weight. I tried it and fell in love with it,” he said.
But getting to the competition was not easy. He has been training for three years and said he often fell and got injured when he started.
“When I started, I was falling and getting injured, but I didn’t give up. It has been tough, but rewarding,” he said.
He also has to balance his schoolwork with training and often struggles to master certain moves.
Without access to a proper gym, he uses outdoor bars, school grounds and the sports field to practise.
ALSO READ: Sibiya accused of threatening Cat Matlala’s wife
“We don’t have proper gyms, so I make a plan. I train on outdoor bars, at school and on the field,” he said.
He said people initially thought he was just playing on the bars and did not take his passion seriously.
But that changed when he returned home with a medal and certificate.
“My grandmother, mother and father didn’t take it seriously at first. They thought I was joking until I came home with a medal and certificate. Then everybody saluted me,” he said.
He said his grandmother also played an important role in his journey by helping him enter the competition.
Bohlale now hopes to represent Soshanguve at provincial and national championships and become one of the country’s best static athletes.
He wants other township youngsters to know that they can also achieve great things, even without expensive equipment or facilities.
“Don’t let where you come from limit where you’re going. You don’t need to be rich or have a big gym. Start where you are, with what you have,” he said.
“If a boy from Soshanguve can win a medal and cup, you can do it too.”
He hopes that in five years he will be among the best static athletes in South Africa and will have mastered the full planche.
“Representing my community would show the world that talent lives in the township,” he said.
