SportsWomanShip

Caster Semenya comes into mind when I think of passion, commitment and dedication. Taking into account all that she's been through, yet she still keeps a positive attitude towards sports. She said this in a recent interview after winning her final race before the IAAF findings are implemented, "…at the end of the day, it’s all about inspiring the world, you know. Showing the world that it is possible when you believe." When asked about the challenges that she’s been facing lately she says, “When you are a living testimony of God, nothing can stop you from delivering what you’ve been given to deliver.” This shows pure dedication and professionalism. Caster came to my attention when she was asked to take tests to prove that the she’s female. I was shocked as I had never heard of such in the history of my showing very little interest in sports. This really made me pay attention to female athletes enough to know have a clue.

This is especially personal to me as my daughter (Oratilwe Selamolela – Age 16) has been chosen to participate in the ECHS Invitational Hockey Team Tour in Holland. She participated in a hockey tour in Bloemfontein where scouts were present to pick suitable candidates that would benefit from the tour. She was one of the selected few, who differ in age groups, to represent South Africa. She has always had a passion for hockey from a young age and was even awarded a sports scholarship to attend at her current school. Mind you, just before going to the Bloemfontein tour, Oratilwe went through one of the most difficult times of her life but she forced herself to go away, on her own and to participate in order to achieve this for herself. This is something that I am the most proud of her for. She did not say that because of the way things are happening, I’m just going to stay home and wallow in my grief, but she got up, packed her things and showed up for every game, performing at her utmost best. This kind of dedication and sportswomanship reminds me of Semenya and because of that, I have full faith in the doors that this tour will be able to open for her.


Oratilwe Selamolela


Here are a few words from Oratilwe herself, “Hockey started when I was 8 and since then, I really enjoy the sport. Everyone else was leaning towards netball but I was always the odd one out that liked hockey. Grade 7 was the first year I played for Eastern Gauteng team. When I got to high school, I stuck to hockey, made the A team and then made Eastern Gauteng team, again. In Grade 9, I was captain of my team until the end of the second term, where I left the school because I had applied for a scholarship at my current school and they accepted me. Since then, my skills have improved and hockey has started being a big part of my life. At the end of the year, I got introduced to Indoor Hockey where the head of the Quagga team asked if I can join the team because she liked what I could offer to the team and I agreed to join them. In Grade 10 I went with to the school hockey tour in Bloemfontein, and I was chosen as part of an invitational team to go to Holland to improve our skills with Dutch coaches at a Dutch clinic. I never expected to be chosen for the team. I was really shocked because something this big has never happened to me, and I really appreciate it. I know that all my hard work has paid off.”

Financially, as her parents, we are not in a position to send her off on our own and so we need your help. Every rand counts. A total of R43 990 is needed to make her dream a reality. If you are in a position to help, please use the following as your point of reference:

Lemogang Selamolela
081 733 0834

The programs banking details:
Freeworld Travel
ABSA Bank
Branch code: 632005
Account number: 407 084 5967
Reference: 18189 (16F) OMSELAMOLELA

Please support a young athlete that still has that fire in her eyes and dreams of representing her country in the Olympics.

Cheers.

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