Be strong and independant – stand on your own feet
Her message to young women is this: "Do not depend on the government, as our generation tends to do"
It’s not easy balancing a career, motherhood and your love for sport – and Bonolo Maseng, who is an administrative clerk for the Roodepoort Police can certainly relate to that.
“Before I can go to practice or a tournament, I have to make sure my work is done and up to date. Being a single mother also complicates matters sometimes. If we have sport on a Saturday, I try to take my three-year-old son with me, otherwise I leave him in the care of his nursery school teacher,” she said.
Thirty-five-year old Bonolo grew up in a small village called Serake, near Zeerust, and life was not always easy. “I never knew about sport while at school, because we had no sports facilities,” said Bonolo.
In 2002 she moved to Gauteng and started working for the police.
Her cousin introduced her to karate in 2005 at the Horison Karate Centre. She trained with Sensei Wendy Wannenburg and is currently a first Dan black belt. “I am not training at the centre any more. I am only practising and competing within the police force,” Bonolo said.
She is a Sempai (learner instructor) and takes time to train some of the other members of the police force. They compete in the SAPS National Championships, which consists of representatives from all the police offices throughout South Africa.
Bonolo laughed as she spoke about her passion for sport. “As soon as I started with karate, I was hooked. I had to try more sports and get to know how they work.”
She is also part of the police’s women’s soccer team. The team participated in the SAPS National Championships last year and won a gold medal. “That was the first time we won a medal,” said Bonolo. She and the soccer team are working hard preparing for this year’s championship which takes place on 20 August in Cape Town.
Bonolo told the Record that this tournament is usually held in the second week of August to coincide with Women’s Day, but it was postponed this year because of the elections.
Bonolo is not just a karate and soccer champ – she also finds time to participate in the tug-of-war and usually takes up the front position in a competition. “We are a good team. We won a silver medal in the SAPS National Championships earlier this year,” she said proudly.
“I was a bit chubby and started doing sport to live a healthier life. Today, sport is my life,” Bonolo said. Her motivation to keep on going is to focus on what she wants. She says sport is a stress reliever and helps to keep her positive. Her achievements in the different sporting codes also motivates her and she is very proud of the fact that she was chosen as the SAPS Gauteng Sports Star of the Year for 2015. She said, “When you participate in some form of sport, you do not have time to be negative or think about other things. Your only focus is the sport you are participating in.”
She motivates others by always being positive and advising them to try turning their circumstances into something positive.
She described herself as someone who is very energetic and loves new challenges. She likes to face a new day not knowing exactly what is going to happen.
When asked what the ultimate woman is to her, she answered, “Someone who is strong and independent. Someone who can stand up for herself and not look down on herself.”
When she is not working or participating in sport, she spends her free time at church, where she is involved with the worship team. “My mother taught me God is always first,” she said. She likes to spend Saturdays and Sunday afternoons with her son, giving him all her undivided attention. Bonolo also loves spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking. “Scones and cookies are definitely my signature dishes as everyone loves them!” she laughed.
Her message to young women is this: “Do not depend on the government, as our generation tends to do. Do not have babies and think the social grants will help you. Make sure you get an education, because without education you can go nowhere. If you have a good education you can get a higher position and motivate the younger women.”
Bonolo’s favourite saying is “No matter how hard it is, always keep smiling” – and she is the perfect example of someone who lives this every day.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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Adventures in a dojo continues
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