Latest news with #SAChamps
The Citizen
09-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Young influencer gets a hero's welcome after earning his Proteas blazer
Desmond Koolen, aka Desi, from Fourways, will never forget the moment he slipped on his green Proteas blazer for performing arts for the first time, because he did it surrounded by the cheers and claps of his entire Sandton-based school. 'It was a very proud moment for me to share my achievements with my peers and to receive the acknowledgement from Nick Clogg, our preparatory school principal. I am one of the first boys at St David's, in the junior preparatory, to receive a green blazer, so it is a really big honour.' He added the blazer presentation followed a special tradition, usually reserved for high school learners, but this time, it was a junior who stole the spotlight. 'The most amazing part was as I put it on, all the boys from grades 1–3 jumped up and were clapping and cheering my name. It made me feel extremely happy and reminded me that all the hard work was worth it when I saw just how proud they all were of me. Also read: 'I feel good kid' Desi Koolen bags Kid Influencer of the Year gong at the South African Social Media Awards 'I felt the most awesome mix of pride and joy. My school is extremely proud of me, and it was so awesome to be celebrated by my peers and teachers alike. It's the Marist way.' With the South African Championships just around the corner, Desi is ready to take the stage, this time with dancing added to his already packed competition lineup. 'This year, I will be dancing for the first time, so I am very excited about that. My favourite category is singing, and I have been working very hard with my vocal coach, so I can't wait to show the judges how much I've grown since last year.' Even though the World Championships were postponed to next year, due to the unrest in Los Angeles, Desi's working towards showing off his talents on stage during the SA Champs in October this year. He's staying focused, using the extra time to his advantage. 'I do think I am probably going into SA champs with a little bit of an upper hand, as I have been consistently doing competition training since January. I've been working very hard on my vocal skills, as well as sharpening up my modelling and some acting aspects.' With 35 performance items to prepare across four different disciplines, time management is key. Also read: 'I feel good' kid Desi gets double delight as he sweeps SA Champs with 27 medals So, what is he aiming for at the SA Champs this year? 'I go there to have fun and do my best. I would like to win the triple threat this year. Last year I won the overall in acting and singing, in the 5–12 age category, so it would be great to get overall in acting, singing, and modelling this year, and maybe medal in dancing.' With the backing of his school, the structure of a solid training plan, and the drive to grow stronger every year, Desi is proving that hard work and heart can take you anywhere. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
The Citizen
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Tuks athletes hope to win several medals at the World Student Games
There is a good reason why it is said that races or matches are not won on paper, but as with everything, there are exceptions. It can now already be said with certainty that there will be more than one Tuks athlete standing on the winners' podium next month in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, during the World Student Games. The statistics of the 2023 Games backs this up. South Africa won 20 medals and Tuks' contribution to the medal tally was 11. Three of the Tuks athletes who won individual medals in Chengdu, China, will be competing again. Judging by the results this year, they are faster and stronger. Charne du Plessis, who won bronze in the 800 metres in 2023, is now nearly six seconds faster. In March, the medical student made history when she won the 800 meters in 1:59.86 at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria. In doing so, she became only the sixth South African female athlete to break the 2-minute barrier. A month later, at the SA Champs in Potchefstroom, she ran 1:58.98, qualifying for the World Champs. Her time is currently one of the 21 fastest in the world. Just for interest, at the previous Student Games, she ran 2:04.73. Her breakthrough runs came about because she has made a mindset change. 'I am not afraid anymore when I line up to race. I give my all when I run because I don't want to disappoint myself. The moment I finished racing, it is important to know it was my best effort. I could not have done better,' she said during a recent interview. Marlie Viljoen was one of only two South African athletes to win a gold medal in China last year. She was victorious in the 400 metres, running 52.38 seconds. So far this season, her best time is 51.42 seconds. She credits being faster to no longer being afraid to race hard until the end. 'Working full-time definitely helps. I'm in a routine. The work and athletics complement each other. I am more focused at work when I have trained on the track. The best is that I no longer put so much pressure on myself. I run to enjoy it and with every race,' she explained. Courtney Westley won the women's singles sculls in China. This time around, she paired up with Katherine Williams. Westley finished fifth last year in the A-final of the World Under-23 Championships. Williams has won bronze at previous World Under-23 Championships. Hannah van Niekerk was part of the South African women's 4x400m-relay team that won a bronze at the World Relay Championships. Last year, she won a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles during the World Junior Athletics Championships. She is also the South African under-23 champion for the last two years. With best times of 56.22 seconds in the hurdles event and 52.72 seconds over 400 metres, she can be considered a medal contender. A total of 34 Tuks athletes, coaches and team managers form part of the South African Student Games team. Basketball: Allen Mametja, Matthew Williams, Caroline Maine and Thoriso Kotsane. Men's coach: Thanda Kweyana. Women's coach: Thesline Davids. Rowing: Katherine Williams and Courtney Westley. Swimming: Kate Meyer, Hannah Pearce, Leigh Mcharan, Hannah Robertson, Pieter Coetzee, Matthew Randle, Arno Kruger, Cameron Casali, Owethu Mahan, Shaun Thomas. Coach: Keenan Riffel Athletics: Eckhart Potgieter, Peace Adedokun, Anastayasha George, Marlie Viljoen, Charne du Plessis, Karabo Mailula, Kayla van der Bergh, Hannah van Niekerk and Colette Uys. Archery: Joane Coetzee and Wian Roux. Team manager: Gerda Roux. Coach: Septimus Holtzhausen. Tennis: Coach: Kyla Yelverton. Team manager: Makgotso Thobejane. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
