uMhlanga’s most decorated athlete
Every month the Northglen News will profile sporting heroes who compete across a wide spectrum of sporting codes. These could include World or SA Champions or even rising stars who look set to take the sporting world by storm. Either way, if they are excelling or are passionate about the sport they play, then they stand a chance of featuring as our ‘Homegrown Sport Talent’ page.
UMHLANGA’S Matt Bouman has been called many things in his life; from a man mountain to a powerhouse on the ocean paddling circuit, to the most decorated lifesaver in South Africa to a highly competitive and respected athlete. While no one can doubt his athletic prowess and all of the above facts are true, there is another side to the gentle giant. He is always inspiring, mentoring and encouraging young athletes to never give up.
Northglen News recently caught up with the former Northwood School pupil to find out where it all began.
“I remember vividly the first time I was motivated to achieve something, I guess you could say there was a tangible carrot dangling in front of me. I had started swimming but it was not a serious activity for me, just some fun. I remember coming nowhere in the primary schools Durban and Districts swimming trails. I had been pestering my mother about getting a motorbike for some time and that day she made a deal with me.
“She said if I made the Natal team, she would buy me the bike. This seemed like an achievable task to me, despite not making the D&D squad, so I trained hard and was focused on getting my bike. Three months later I was winning the Natal Schools trails. I never did get the bike and my mom disputes the whole story, but it was a turning point for me as an athlete,” he said.
Bouman who began in his sporting safari in the pool soon progressed to the ocean, where he competed in surf lifesaving competitions. At 39, Bouman has held 29 SA lifesaving titles (the most by some distance), multiple World Championship medals, including a world title (he is the current surfski World Champion, having won at the World Champs in France last year) and has represented South Africa in more than five sporting codes.
In 1994 the local resident made his first senior national lifesaving team and last year, made it 20 years of representing his country at the highest level.
“I love this sport, I love competing at the highest levels and winning the gold medal was a fantastic feeling. I think what made it so special was that it came 20 years after my debut so the feeling wasn’t lost in the arrogance of youth. It was just a surreal feeling and I felt I was able to absorb the euphoria with a overwhelming sense of gratitude,” Bouman said.
Bouman who brings his tenacious competitiveness to every event he enters, also had some words of encouragement for youngster pursuing their sporting dreams.
“Don’t be distracted by chasing dreams, skip forward with a happy heart and open eyes. No one should ever quit a sport because of a fear of losing. Always be optimistic, it’s hard to beat a person who never gives up. It doesn’t matter where you end at the finish line, you have to keep fighting with a smile on your face,” he said.
My Favourites
Fave sports to watch: “Any sport where someone is giving it their all”
Fave food/cuisine: “Anything natural, organic and anything my girlfriend makes”
Fave TV shows/channels: “I’m not a big TV fan, I watch a lot of TED talks”
Fave musician/band: “Everything from Vivaldi to the Foo Fighters”
Fave quote: ‘Few people are able to express with equanimity, opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions’: Albert Einstein
Homegrown Sports Talent
Cristiano’s ignition is powered by passion (Homegrown talent 2)
Silver Fox still silky smooth on the waves (Homegrown talent 1)
