The pinnacle of any single discipline is the coveted Olympic Games and inching closer to that peak is judo ace Unelle Snyman. Currently in Europe competing for ranking points, she is in a race against time to maintain her position in order to achieve Olympic qualification.
Unelle has until the end of May to meet the required criteria with the upcoming African Championships providing the ideal opportunity to climb the rankings. Continental tournaments carry more weight and a strong showing in Morocco in April will go a long way to realising her dream. However, competitions in Germany and then Georgia are first and foremost in her mind.
A former learner of both Laerskool and Hoërskool Florida, she heaps praise on the schools for giving her the platform to succeed. “I was definitely blessed to be in schools that supported extra-curricular activities and actually gave recognition for competing in a sport like judo. They made it possible for me to balance not only sport, but also academics and culture,” praised Unelle.
Gracing the Dojo since age six, Unelle has been a Protea Judoka since 2018. That long journey has meant several sacrifices and pushing those final metres takes a few more. Unelle and her family are calling on any persons, companies or organisations that could assist with additional funding to please contact Tobie Snyman on 082 465 3420 for more detailed information.
