Winning on the gsport Awards Stage was Life-Changing: Thato Makhafola
Thato Makhafola has gone from being a track athlete to now being a corporate worker and endeavouring to do her part as a philanthropist. The former 800m runner has swapped the track for an office as she now works for one of South Africa’s biggest banks; however, this doesn’t mean she has given up on running altogether … Makhafola continues to run, but now it’s for exercise and enjoyment.
The chartered accountant was once a winner on the gsport stage when she walked away with the Junior Athlete of the Year Award in 2012 and says the accolade was truly transformative.
“That was a life-changing award. I will be very honest, sometimes I’m even tempted to put it on my resume, because it was life-changing in every aspect, in the sense that I could understand that my efforts were not in vain. I am recognised, I am seen, and I matter, and also on that day, I was able to have conversations with people not even in the sports fraternity.
“I remember seeing Lalla Hirayama and I was like, ‘Oh, isn’t that Lalla from Vuzu’, and Anele Mdoda was the presenter (that year). I thought to myself, ‘I know Anele is on the radio’, and I was seeing all of these people that I always see on TV within, I guess, a sporting environment, and they’re also killing it in their game.
“This is exactly what I need, I thought, a reminder that you can be whatever you want to be.”
“If you wake up today and you decide to go into broadcasting, you start having those ideas in your head, and the fact that I was allowed to have a conversation with those people,” says Thato. “I now walk into rooms where I can confidently speak to people. Sometimes we don’t even realise an opportunity like being invited to the gsport awards is a way of networking.”
Makhafola conveyed a message of approval and optimism when she shared her thoughts on the work being done by gsport to ensure that women in sport have the necessary recognition that they rightfully deserve. The former athlete was clear on how she felt on the topic, saying gsport does more than just highlight women in sport.
“It highlights not just performances, but impact, as well as resilience. It is not a thing of, ‘Oh no, we’re just going to recognise people seen on mainstream media’; some people get nominated, and I did not even know the person.”
“I didn’t know they were doing an incredible job in their community. gsport goes above and beyond that, not just recognising performance, but to remember that there are administrators, coaches, and even supporters that go out of their way to make sure that athletes are always backed.”
Over a decade later, Makhafola finds herself away from the competitive world of track running and shared with gsport how she now balances her time between her day job, philanthropy, as well as keeping fit.
“I have been trying to balance my corporate life with my social running life and it has been quite amazing, and I think in the same breath, I’m trying to be a philanthropist. I don’t know if I am one, but I’m trying to be one as well as trying to get involved in community projects, while trying to make sure that I run as often as I can.”
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“I am trying to take care of myself, and being a professional social runner has been keeping me going, and makes life very interesting. Sometimes we do get tired of the spreadsheets and staring at my computer every day, looking at numbers can just be a bit draining.”
She added that staying within the social running space also just enables her to keep in contact with her running community and this allows her to continue showing support to the new crop of athletes.
“I do support other athletes, middle distance sprinters, a lot of people that I used to run with back in the day and some of them are still in the field. You know, the likes of Glenrose Xaba, you also reach out to people like Tamzin Thomas, and I feel like they do need our support now and then. So whenever I’m available, I rock up for track meets or go to road races. I think this also helps me keep in contact with my running community.”
Makhafola came onto the athletics scene over a decade ago and had high hopes for what she wanted to achieve as a track athlete. She reminisced about how things didn’t start in the traditional way for her, but she encouraged young women to realise that their opportunities are what they make of them.
“I always tell people that my career started in reverse, and I went from wanting to be one of the best 800-metre athletes in the world, like Caster Semenya, or even better, to just being an elite social runner that’s proud of running slow, which is very weird for someone who just came out of a sport that was so competitive, right?
“I always tell people that for me, I am at ease because my story is my story, and I own my story, and at a point where, although I know that I haven’t achieved a global title, I have represented South Africa on the world stages.”
“I have gotten so many opportunities, I’ve gotten to school for free, and I’ve gotten a corporate job because of running. I always tell people they need to be at a point in life when they exit the sport they have so much to be proud of. They have gotten so much out of the sport, you know, you can’t just leave.
She went on to say that young women should not limit their dreams, as it is possible to ‘have it all’.
“You can be a Chartered Accountant and be an Olympian at the same time. It is possible, and I’ve seen other people, you know, the likes of Phumelela Mbande, the hockey player, who even posted on Twitter and said you can have it all, and that is the reality we live in. My YouTube name is Limitless Thato because I always say that you have to believe that you live in a limitless world and have these superpowers. That’s how I want to inspire the younger generation.”
This year will see gsport reach another milestone as the 20th gsport Awards will take place. The groundbreaking event is a one-of-a-kind ceremony not just in South Africa but globally, and if 2024 is anything to go by, this year’s edition will again showcase why it has become an industry-leading event.
The awards have become a launchpad not just for the nominees and winners but also for those who have been part of the gsport media team. Should you be interested in becoming part of the #gsport20 campaign, click here for a chance to be part of making history.
Main Photo Caption: Once an a well-known track athlete, Thato Makhafola is now a successful charted accountant. Despite being away from the competitive scene she still stays close to her running community that she holds dear. All Photos: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: In a day of great significance for her, Thato Makhafola was crowned Up and Coming Athlete of the Year at the 2012 gsport Awards.
Photo 3 Caption: Thato Makhafola has gone from being a world-class track athlete to a corporate professional, doing her part as a philanthropist.
Photo 4 Caption: The former 800m runner has swopped the track for the board room, and she now works for one of South Africa’s biggest banks.
Photo 5 Caption: This doesn’t mean she has given up on running altogether, as Makhafola continues to run – but now it’s for exercise and enjoyment.
Crédito: Link de origem