Recovering from a knee injury the last two years, this Olympian sprinter was all set to defend his title at the Tokyo 2020 Games. In lockdown in South Africa, the ardent Mo Salah and Liverpool fan shares how he has been building his endurance and finding positivity in the chaos.



Nothing can get a good sportsman down.



Ask Cape Town-born Wayde van Niekerk, who made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics with a record-breaking performance as a track and field athlete.



In a way, the five-week government-imposed lockdown in South Africa was an extension of Van Niekerk’s own time away from the limelight, when he was already used to living and training indoors, consistently building on his physical and mental endurance.



The serious knee injury in 2017 that kept him away from the track had meant “a hibernation” of a different kind when he was steering himself for the next big competition returning to the field again in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;



This was also going to be the year he was going to defend his 400m world record at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.



“I came out of an injury, and it led to me entering a hibernation period of my life where a lot happened, internally, indoors, away from the TV screens,” says Van Niekerk on a Zoom interview with FORBES AFRICA from his home in Bloemfontein in South Africa’s Free State province, a day after the country lifted the lockdown with Level 4 restrictions.



“As this year started, I had shifted my mentality to becoming an athlete again, and getting ready for the next major competition, and then Covid-19 started, and that led to me taking a step back and shift back to the hibernation stage of training and strengthening myself.



“I am blessed and privileged to have equipment around me and a gym setup at home. So I was well-prepared before even the pandemic… but you do miss the track but this pandemic is something we all have to face.”



The 28-year-old, who showed promise from an early age, and who was also listed as one of FORBES AFRICA’s 30 Under 30 achievers in 2019, says he has been using the time to find peace in chaos.



“What I have learned is to try and find that peace, that positivity and calm in this storm. It’s a mentality shift that I had to meditate on, that I build a positive foundation, that I reap every strength and positivity invested in me, that once I come out of the injury, I &nbsp;come out stronger. Now, I am making sure my physical and mental strength can complement one another.”



With the Tokyo 2020 Games now postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, did it give him the gift of time?



“Not really. Every time is a blessing,” says Van Niekerk. “I prepared myself for that this year, but reality is what it is. And we can’t be dwelling on the losses… we can either see it as time lost or there is a goal I have set for myself, the way I am going to get it is not important. It doesn’t matter the platform it happens on, as long as it happens. I have been investing my time into it.”



From 200m events as a junior athlete, to a 400m specialist later in life, Van Niekerk is clearly among the most versatile sprinters in the history of the sport.



You can sense it’s no fake modesty when he tells you that the time away from the track has also made him want to do more for the less fortunate around him. The attention is not on himself.



“I find it difficult to focus on just me… I am very passionate about helping those around me. I am not a fan of wanting to do things that become a media event,” he says simply.



“We are going through this period to cleanse and strengthen ourselves&#8230; Forget about who you are, and see whose lives you can make easier. The people who are struggling now are the people who will give you the biggest smile and who will give you the confidence. And now it’s time for us as sports people and as human beings to find ways to consider those around us who are less fortunate and not as blessed as we are.”



The transition from indoor fitness to outdoor training, once the lockdown regulations are fully lifted, is not going to be an easy one.



“There are a lot of technical things to it in terms of getting 100% race-fit for an international stage and trying to do some competitions; to just shake off that rust and to get the legs going and the body moving and the blood flowing again. There is a massive difference between a gym workout and being a track athlete. There will be a whole few months before we get to be at the level and shape where we can improve ourselves as athletes,” he says.



The ardent Mo Salah and Liverpool fan has also been engaging with his network of sports comrades around the world. Jamaican former sprinter Usain Bolt is a good friend. You ask if he has been in touch.



“I communicate with most, but Usain is more about the banter. He’s always teasing me about the Premier League not going to finish, so they keep trying to tap into that nerve of mine as I am a passionate Liverpool supporter. So I am trying not to entertain that side of them,” laughs Van Niekerk.



As a child, Van Niekerk dreamed of becoming the fastest man in the world. It’s a dream that still keeps the speedster going.



“It is what I have been investing in ever since I was young, and what I want to achieve. With the barriers I broke came confidence, and why not believe in what I can achieve? I am invested 110% to want to improve the 100m, 200m and up to 400m, and I am more hungry and determined than ever before!”

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Wayde van Niekerk: ‘Lockdown Meant Shifting Back To Hibernation To Train And Strengthen Myself’

On a cool evening, Idrisu is gearing up for his daily workout. Today, he is doing a combination of squats, endurance exercises and boxing routines. He started this new regime a little over a month ago and so far the results have been life changing.
“I started at this gym because I needed to get fit very quickly and I was looking for a gym that could guarantee results at a moderate price,” says Idrisu.
The owner of the gym is entrepreneur Rehia Giwa-Osagie who is determined to get the nation fit again through boxing. Osagie is the founder of EliteBox, a speciality fitness and boxing gym designed to help clients like Idrisu, achieve remarkable health results. Today, Osagie, who doubles as a personal trainer, is working with Mark, who joined the gym last week.
“I have never been to a gym like this, the combination of fitness routines that Rehia designs is specific to your needs. I wanted to build muscles and see results quickly and in a week I can already see progress,” he says.
Mark and Idrisu are part of a new wave of fitness that is sweeping Nigeria. For Osagie, the journey began a decade ago due to injury.
“I used to play semi-professional football in England, then I injured my knee so that career was over. So, I changed sports about seven or eight years ago to boxing,” he says.
Born in London to a gynaecologist and a dentist, Osagie was destined for a career in medicine but he opted for crunching numbers instead. After completing his finance degree at Durham University in England, Osagie had a short stint as a salesman.
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“My first job out of university was selling makeup door to door. That is the best way to integrate yourself into society. I used to walk around the city of London and sell Victoria Jackson makeup for £30 to £40. I was in the job for just a month and I quit. After that I went into advertising for an event company where we sold advertising and organized conferences all over the world,” he says.
Osagie was transferred to the Nigerian branch of the business two years ago, which inspired the start of his entrepreneurial journey.
“When I moved to Lagos, I realized that it didn’t have the things that I wanted to do. The whole entrepreneurial journey started because I needed to find a way to do things outside of going clubbing and going to the restaurant.”
At the time, Osagie had to drive far to get to his local gym. He decided to move his workout sessions closer to the where he lived and avoid the same mistake he made years ago by not following his passion.
“I am 29 years old. I was playing football from a young age to about 22. My biggest regret was that I never really took the gamble to quit my job and just go for trials and play for a team. I used to get a decent amount of money per match but I never had the courage to quit everything and pack one bag and relocate to another country to make it playing football, no matter what happened,” he says.
Osagie took the plunge. He quit his job and, with his life savings, began looking for a location for his new gym. He had a clear vision of what he wanted; it had to be safe, moderately priced and accessible. With an initial investment of $40,000, EliteBox was born.
“The long-term vision is to franchise this concept and make sure it also grows organically. I haven’t created this just to be another gym. There are very specific things about this gym that you will not find anywhere else, so, for me to keep that ambience, it has to grow organically.”
So far the gym has 100 members and the media attention is bringing in more members. Combining boxing and fitness is a hit with Osagie’s clients, but he wants to do more with his business.
“We are also looking to have boxing events and charity events. We work with a lot of kids at the moment and people come from the mainland to train; we are creating something here that is more than just a gym. We see ourselves as bridging the gap in the industry so we have the upper echelon in terms of clients and the working class as well. So we have a mix and match with males and females,” says Osagie.
If the feedback from Idrisu and Mark are anything to go by, then Osagie has found his calling. As the fitness craze gains popularity among Nigerians, EliteBox is punching its way to the top.

Punching His Way To The Top

<ol>
<li>Thermogenic supplementation: Sports supplements are growing in popularity; thermogenics for example are stimulants like caffeine and raspberry ketone that increase the body’s natural heat and energy production. They burn fat best.</li>
<li>Green tea: The Asian fat killer is back. This all-natural hot drink is known for its fat-burning and cleansing properties. It’s one of the cheapest and easiest ways to kick up your metabolism.</li>
<li>HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the new way to throw a quick workout into your day and burn fat. HIIT workouts never last longer than 15 minutes. Training at high intensity for shorter periods boosts the metabolic rate. A basic HIIT workout can be a 100-meter run at 100% intensity and a 20-second rest period; perform this pattern for 10 rounds.</li>
<li>Avoid crash diets: These diets help drop the kilos fast but at the expense of the right nutrition. Crash diets not only burn fat but also throw away muscle – not good if you want that bikini body.</li>
<li>Keep it fresh: When buying fruits and vegetables, remember to buy fresh, not frozen. When cooking your fresh produce, don’t overcook, it will lose its nutritional value.</li>
<li>Stay hydrated: Keeping up one’s water intake and staying away from sugary cold drinks is absolutely vital to the fat-burning process.</li>
<li>Take the stairs: Avoid the elevator, run up the stairs instead. You have nothing to lose. You will burn fat as well as end up feeling better through the day.</li>
<li>Protein is power: Keeping up a high-protein intake provides the body with long-lasting energy through the day. High-protein diets are not just for professional bodybuilders anymore.</li>
<li>Get some sleep: Sleep is very important in the fat-burning process; it allows the body to recuperate from the daily stresses.</li>
<li>Hit the iron: Weight-training is now widely accepted as one of the leading ways to lose weight and has been proven to burn more calories per hour than any form of cardio. One of the best pieces of equipment to use is the kettlebell, a Russian weight with an odd shape that requires the body to use more muscles even to manoeuvre.</li>
</ol>

FWA-2014-Oct-Nov-079-Workouts-001

10 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism And Burn Fat

CrossFit is a form of functional exercise fast gaining popularity among fitness enthusiasts across the world, and that   is now taking Africa by storm.
Also promoted as a competitive fitness sport, CrossFit incorporates high-intensity training, including Olympic weightlifting, plyometric exercises, powerlifting, gymnastics and calisthenics. Founded by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai of the United States (US), it has over 9,000 affiliates worldwide, most of which are in the US. Africa is a relative newcomer to CrossFit, yet there are already 119 affiliates in South Africa alone.
CrossFit prepares your body for real-life situations involving strength, fitness and endurance, and it’s widely accepted that those who do this type of training are the fittest. This idea was created after the CrossFit community founded The CrossFit Games, a competitive event that claims the winner is ‘the fittest on earth’. Based on programs used to train policemen, firemen and military forces, one of the biggest things it drives is a sense of community.
Many women are reluctant to try it, but South African Nicole Seymour, who holds the title of ‘the second fittest woman in Africa’, speaks about how she overcame her fears, and how her goal is to become a competitive international athlete:
<ol>
<li>What made you take to CrossFit?</li>
<li>We were at home flicking through channels on ESPN and happened to come across the Games. It was awesome to see people doing crazy things and pushing their bodies to the limits. I love challenges and I remember saying to my husband that is something I would love to do. Shortly after, I fell pregnant with my second child so the Games became a distant dream. The following year, my husband decided to enter me into the opens so he didn’t leave me a choice. I was nervous but excited.</li>
<li>What can you say with regard to women in CrossFit?</li>
<li>I think it allows women to feel empowered and realize what they are capable of. Both men and women are treated equally. It’s phenomenal how CrossFit has changed so many lives. You get out of CrossFit what you want. You need to progress slowly and make it a lifestyle. It takes you back to your childhood and activities that everyone should naturally be able to do.</li>
<li>Your thoughts on the stigma that ‘women who lift are masculine’?</li>
<li>It is one of the biggest misconceptions. I say, try it and find out for yourself. Either you love it or you hate it. I have yet to find a lady that regrets starting CrossFit as it really impacts on so many areas of your life. You will find everyday activities such as carrying kids, shopping etc a lot easier and less stressful and your overall quality of life will improve.</li>
</ol>
I love muscles, so for me, it’s awesome. The most important part is to be happy and content with yourself. I can honestly say my physique is a lot smaller, leaner and more athletic since I have been doing CrossFit.
<ol>
<li>Has your outlook of CrossFit changed?</li>
<li>It’s a very humbling sport. Some of the workouts are so deceptive, they look easy but you soon find out otherwise. There is honestly no space for arrogance in this sport. One minute you are up and the next you are down. Anything can happen.</li>
<li>Do you believe CrossFit is the future of fitness in Africa?</li>
<li>I do. It really takes you back to the ‘caveman days’. It is such a fun way of getting fit and active and the best part of all is you’re not doing it alone. There is generally a group of people next to you sweating and working just as hard as you.</li>
</ol>

Nicole Seymour

The Fittest Women On Earth

It’s February 2014. The New Year is already distant. The overcrowded yoga studio is thinning out as the New Year’s resolutions fade. I like more space but I don’t like what it means in terms of women letting go of their resolve to take better care of themselves this year.
Sometimes I draw a Wheel of Life with clients and ask them to place descriptors on the spokes for the different roles in their lives. They generally easily combine their professional and personal selves: executive, mother, spouse, member of professional body, MBA student, extended family member, board director, church committee and so on. I ask them to rate, from one to 10, how important each role is – marking the spoke with a colored pen. Using a second color, they rate the effort they dedicate to each role. With the third colored pen they rate their level of satisfaction. Together we consider the alignment and discord, and the changes that are needed.
There’s often one role missing. My clients stare at their wheel, puzzled. “What about the role of self-care?”  I ask rhetorically. Without self-care every other role may be jeopardized. It is extraordinary how many people relegate and neglect self-care. Steven Covey’s concept of being “properly selfish” needs more advocacy. I admire the women I’ve had the privilege to work with for over a decade but I often fear for them. They are outstanding achievers but at what cost to their long-term selves?
Whilst this column was named Headspace, I aspire to work with clients on the connectivity between our headspace, emotions, body fitness and energy. I’m increasingly respectful of the power of breath. It seems like the simplest thing – breathing. We’ve done it since the day we were born. Yet breathing consciously can contribute to our ability to create different choices and outcomes for ourselves.
As CEO of the Land Bank my medical check-up revealed high blood pressure and the blood analysis indicated high levels of cortisol – another indicator of stress. I spent 10 years on chronic medication. Then I read that one of the beneficial effects of meditation is improved blood pressure. My meditation breathing has been one of my best investments and I’ve had four drug-free years.
“So how have things gone since our last session?” The client gives me an update and the very recall of the events spark a panic attack. I’m able to draw on my training on breathing for relaxation to assist my client to recalibrate and regain their equilibrium. Another client is battling with insomnia – again certain breathing exercises can induce sleep and act as an effective alternative to slipping pills and their possible side effects.
My favorite easy breathing tool is one that I often teach clients, both individuals and teams, to use when they need to interrupt a burst of anger that might otherwise lead to behavior they will later regret. It’s aptly named S.T.O.P.
Imagine the traffic light. STOP. On red, take a breath – breathe in for the count of four. On amber, observe and hold your breath for the count of four. Then proceed to green, breathe out for the count of four and repeat. Focusing on the breathing breaks the anger burst in the way that a fuse breaks the electrical circuit when there’s danger of overload.
Another conscious breathing practice includes movement. Perhaps you’ve seen people doing Tai Chi, which resembles slow-motion ballet. Chi or Qi (Mandarin for breath) embodies the concept of vitality and life-force. While western medicine works with two body networks:  blood veins and the nervous system, the Chinese work with a third network, that of meridians. When meridian flows are blocked people experience fatigue in spite of clocking up hours of sleep or cardio training. It’s worth considering learning the body-breathing exercises that stimulate Qi.
I hope I’ve made you curious on two counts. Firstly, to consider what your wheel of life look likes. And secondly, the role that breathing plays in an expanded concept of fitness. Remember that leadership roles are stressful and self-care is paramount.

Tag: Fitness

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Wayde van Niekerk: ‘Lockdown Meant Shifting Back To Hibernation To Train And Strengthen Myself’

Punching His Way To The Top

10 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism And Burn Fat

The Fittest Women On Earth

S.T.O.P.