Terry wrestles his way towards his dreams
Upon his return from the recent Commonwealth Games in Australia, Terry van Rensburg, a wrestler from the city, shared his experience and outlined his future plans to BONUS.
POLOKWANEÂ The experience at the Commonwealth Games, Terry describes as nothing short of amazing. Even though he is disappointed he didn’t manage to bring home the gold as he dreamt, he still sees the experience as a valuable learning curve.
Read more: Polokwane wrestlers headed down under for the Commonwealth Games
“I gave my all but it was just not on the cards for me to bring home the gold this year, despite all my hard work. Working hard to secure a spot to go to the games, however, is something I definitely recommend every athlete should do, even if its only to learn from the experience. One thing no one can ever take away from you is experience and the feeling of taking yourself to a competition of this magnitude is like nothing else.”
Terry developed a passion for wrestling at a young age when he was introduced to the sport at the age of nine by a friend’s dad whose son was already actively involved in wrestling.
Sport is something I have always enjoyed. It teaches discipline and helps you to make peace with the fact that you will not always be the best at everything you take on. Hard work will help you to reach your goals, no matter how long it takes.”
Terry is a 19-time South African champion in wrestling and an affiliated member of the Ion Baciu Wrestling Academy in Polokwane.
Of his wins, Terry holds his 2010 and 2014 wins most dear and dreams to wrestle at the 2022 Olympic Games. “There are various benefits to participating in wrestling, such as travelling the world and learning about different cultures and religions worldwide. Wrestling also teaches work ethics, self-control and self-esteem and is a sport that I would recommend for anyone as it helps to develop the entire body.” When he is not hard at work in the wrestling ring, he is a qualified electrical engineer and works in a temporary position at a wholesaler in the city.
“My dad is my role model and I always recall his words: ‘do your best and what will happen will happen, as long as you give your best’. He always keeps me motivated and sees the positive side of everything,” Terry said.
His own motto in life is to work hard, sacrifice what is needed and you will accomplish anything you want in life. “You are as great as your next move in life.”
