Limitless Inspiration

Our amazing Challenge Ambassadors shared their stories of inspiration to challenge us. Their brave tales of overcoming obstacles, breaking boundaries and rising to the challenges life has thrown at them, will motivate you to take on your own limits and live a passionately limitless life.

Nolo Skiti

Nolo Skiti

My greatest limit was laziness to exercise, which resulted in me gaining weight. I weighed +-95kg. I had no choice but to start a healthy lifestyle. A friend of mine influenced my decision for the better and I started by running short distances around the block. I couldn’t finish a km without walking. Now, I am a 6 times Comrades marathon finisher. I also decided to change my eating habits and eat healthier. Now I watch what I eat and have lost +-27kg. My family saw the changes and decided to join me in a healthier lifestyle.

Bonang Gwampi

Bonang Gwampi

I’ve had to work through trying to be a perfectionist for the better part of my life as I did not want to be associated with any form of failure whatsoever. Some of the life lessons I’ve learned from running that have helped me overcome the limits of perfectionism that were halting my personal growth, were to believe in myself, to do my best and remember that setbacks are bound to happen but they are temporary.

Elana Afrika - Bredenkamp

Elana Afrika - Bredenkamp

I was 15 when my aunt piped up, “You will never achieve anything with these marks.” I was holding my report card proudly, and the disappointment that followed her words was crushing. That wasn’t the last bullying comment that followed my life and career. Being a positive person is not easy, it comes with opinions, people that want to drag you down, and criticism about why you are always so happy. There is a lot of jealousy from others, which can be limiting and paralysing. My gift to myself is to remind myself daily that there are no limits to kindness, to what I can do as a broadcaster and what we can do as a family with Our creator. I know the truth, I know myself, and I know my life is limitless. Guilt in parenting is limiting, the wrong friends are limiting, and being fearful of the unknown is limiting. The solution: My “AHA” moment comes every day when I remind myself of what is true and what isn’t. Being limitless for me is a relief, it gives me courage and it gives me a reason to help others. I am limitless. I am a mom, and a wife and a broadcaster. I can run. Fast. Virtually or right here. I was created limitlessly!

Nomvuzo Zongo

Nomvuzo Zongo

I did not do mathematics at high school and had very little exposure at university. So when I arrived at UCT to do my first degree, I just couldn’t count, which was a big limitation for me. I ended up having to take extra lessons and tutorials on mathematics, and with the help of a mentor, I passed and was awarded my commerce degree. When it came to my Master’s degree, it was an even greater challenge as I was far more exposed. But with a great deal of assistance from others and hard work and dedication, I am proud to say I have 2 degrees in commerce.

Robbie Kruse

Robbie Kruse

A big limitation for me in my younger years was wearing glasses. I received Lasic eye surgery at 27 years old, but before then it was very difficult to play sports and participate in water polo with glasses and contact lenses. It was really tough, but I didn’t let it get me down. And now I can see the moon, in detail!

WarriorRic

WarriorRic

Lockdown prevented me from performing my vocation – inspiring and motivating people at ‘mass gatherings’ like the SPAR Women’s Challenge. In 2020, I lost work and income, but not hope. I decided to plant seeds in the desert by re-inventing my business online with Live IG Chats and partnering with online educators. I am proud to say, that one year later, I can see the blades of the harvest shooting through the sand.

Sarina Bosman

Sarina Bosman

I have wanted to be a radio presenter since I was 11 years old, when I played radio-radio on my own as a child. I have always known that this is what I want to do with my life. At 11 you don’t really know if you have the skills or talent to do what you want to do, so it was always in the back of my mind and I started to work towards it. I started doing Orators at school and participating in every single public speaking event that I could think of, so that I could build up the necessary skill set to achieve this massive dream. The biggest lesson that I had to learn in life is that it doesn’t necessarily come easily. I picked my university based on the campus radio station and when I arrived at university and applied at the campus radio station, I didn’t get in. And I had to wait six or seven month before I could reapply. During that time I worked at other radio stations to build up my experience and when I reapplied I got in. Ever since then I have been living out my dream and fulfilling my passions every single day.

Jeanie Steyn

Jeanie Steyn

Netball has played an important part in my life’s journey. I started playing when I was 8 years old. Most of my classmates played and they were always laughing and enjoying themselves at practice and I also wanted to be part of that. I didn’t realise that making such a small decision then would put me on a track of great possibilities and opportunities. Netball has since played a vital role in my life. It has created opportunities for me to study, to work and to build invaluable relationships. The friends that I have made on, and next to, the court have become family. Netball has enabled me to overcome my greatest challenges, may it be financial or emotional. It has empowered me with tools and skills to live a life of independency. Netball has created a platform for me to #LiveLimitless.

Lucille Slade

Lucille Slade

For me, growth is limitless and flowers represent the growth of all things beautiful and prosperous.

Mimi Mahlasela

Mimi Mahlasela

My daily affirmations and faith have helped me to overcome my depression and anxiety. My faith has helped me face my self-doubt and build my confidence, to live my life limitless.

Suga

Suga

Before I started in radio I was told that women don’t belong on the radio. This has been a driving force and given me the determination to succeed. This article meant so much because it was a reminder of people setting limits on me that I was determined to overcome. People had said I’m too young to have a prime time show but deep down I knew what I was meant to do and 23 years later I’m still living limitless!

Siphokazi Menziwa

Siphokazi Menziwa

I have overcome my fear – Fear of the unknown, fear of the outcome, fear of not being good enough, fear of failing. Such that I only did things that I was comfortable with as I was fearful of taking risks. I wanted to be comfortable. Through the support of my Mom who kept telling me that I am good enough, I am beautiful, I can do it, I was able to face my fear. I started giving myself positive affirmations consistently to boost my confidence. I learnt to accept the outcome whether positive or negative and I learnt to understand that not everything will go my way. I surrounded myself with people who see the positive in life and I encourage myself every day to push forward to face my fears. I tell myself that I need to step out of my comfort zone and face my fears and in so doing I live limitlessly. When I started operating outside of my comfort zone I started growing towards my full potential. Now I take action with determination to become the person I believe I am meant to be. Now I believe fear is a mind game and with the power of the mind I can do anything when I put my mind to it. I’m no longer afraid of taking risks, I live limitlessly. I learnt to realise that the things we stress about are not as hard as we imagine them to be. I’m not scared to challenge my own limits, I keep going, I crush my limits, I explore life’s possibilities because I’m out of my comfort zone.

Philicity Reeken

Philicity Reeken

We all go through seasons where we feel that we continuously water our gardens and the seeds just do not seem to be sprouting. I believe that if you feed your soul and your humanity in good and healthy ways, you will eventually bloom. If the foundation is good, then the blooming will continue.

Izelle Hoffman

Izelle Hoffman

I was born with Congenital Hip Dysplasia, and 14 operations later I am the healthiest and most positive version of myself. The glass is always half, it is for you to decide if it’s half full or half empty! When you focus on your blessings you will always be happy and content with what you have, despite your shortcomings! When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change...

Willem Botha

Willem Botha

My greatest personal limitation in life is a fear of what other people think of me, especially on social media – how many likes I have, how many comments I get. I was constantly adjusting my life and my lifestyle according to other people’s opinions. I started a spiritual journey with God, where I had to come to realise that if He thinks I am good enough and He thinks who I am is fine, what does it matter what other people think? This is something that I work on every day of my life, that the only thing I need to concern myself with is my relationship with God and what He thinks of me.

Sophia Matlou

Sophia Matlou

No matter how hard I fall emotionally, physically or financially I will wake up the next day and walk tall with a smile, telling myself that FORWARD I go, BACKWARDS, NEVER because I AM LIMITLESS!

Charné Bosman

Charné Bosman

I have overcome limiting negative thoughts by trying to stay positive in very difficult situations. I remind myself that there is always something to be grateful for. Just to wake up every morning is a blessing. Negativity drains energy and makes you sick! Stay positive because there is always something to be grateful for!

Rene Kalmer

Rene Kalmer

The limit I have overcome in life, was not allowing anyone to steal my joy or make me believe that I’m not good enough. I started running at the age of 9, because the cross-country teacher recruited the whole school to run a cross country league race in order to accumulate points for the school. I wasn’t a natural talent, I finished 42nd, but loved every minute of it and the following week I was back for more. The following year I started to train and I slowly improved, year after year. At a young age I realised that hard work beats talent! I ran my first SPAR Women’s Challenge race in Grade 8 and the biggest attraction was the t-shirt, goody bag and being in the same race as my childhood hero, Elana Meyer. Never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine that one day I would also win a SPAR 10km, never mind 28 SPAR 10km titles in total. At the age of 11, after Elana Meyer won the silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in the 10 000m, I started dreaming of going to the Olympic Games. 16 years later that dream became a reality when I qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for the 1500m. It took me a decade to improve by 3 seconds to meet the qualifying standard. In that decade I battled with injuries, doubt and fear of failure, but somehow, I kept the dream alive and at the end all the BLOOD, SWEAT and TEARS were worth it. Thank you SPAR for playing an important role in realising my DREAMS!

Yolanda Bukani

Yolanda Bukani

I am a Cancer Survivor. I was diagnosed with Stage 4B lymphoma in 2012 and underwent chemo and radiation for 18 months before I received my Stem Cell transplant in 2013. I will be in remission for 8 years on 2 September. Because of my cancer journey I now live limitless!

Leilani Kuter

Leilani Kuter

My #LiveLimitless feeling was the day I finished a 729km walk. I knew then that no matter what, I can conquer so much more in life and that my past does not define me. I could feel my limits floating away.

Gino Fabbri

Gino Fabbri

The toaster was used in one of my first solo shows. A solo comedy show is a terrifying thing to do and so it represented that moment when I had to dig deep and jump! It reminds me of that show. It was my Nonna’s (my Italian Grandmother) toaster in the 50s and it has sentimental value... My father was Italian and my mother was a Van Staden! I lean on the Italian in me to give me the passion and flair, and my South African half keeps me resilient.

Khutso Theledi

Khutso Theledi

From a very young age I was raised to never let the limitations or insecurities of others limit what is possible for me, that I can make it, that in fact I’m sure I will, and if I fall, stand tall and come back for more. By overcoming the teasing of my deep voice back in primary school, to becoming YFM’s first female afternoon drive time host to do it on her own, I learnt to understand my limitations everyday and overcome them. Never forget to move beyond your perceived limitations.

Bongi Msomi

Bongi Msomi

Having to leave home and play netball overseas for clubs was a big limit for me. The idea of travelling outside the country alone was a nightmare. This was my first opportunity to play overseas and after a long conversation with my coach (Sthembiso Mncwabe), I got the idea that it was bigger than I thought. Which was true! I had traveled with the SPAR Proteas before but never alone. I just knew I was going to ask at the airport every time I wasn’t sure and I made sure I connected to the airport wifi as soon as I landed to update the manager and coach that side. They were very helpful. Looking back, I can ask, ‘Why was I stressing?’ It all seems ok now. But in that moment, I could picture a lot of things going wrong and not having anyone to help me. The uncertainty and the unknown terrified me. In the end, I guess I just needed to trust that all would go well and it eventually did! Grateful!

Ivan Botha

Ivan Botha

Growing up I dreamt of making a career out of sport, I was never involved with theatre or drama. And then life happened… In Grade 10 I was diagnosed with scoliosis (my spine was growing skew), which meant I had to immediately stop all contact sport. This was devastating to my dreams of being a sportsman. What was incredible was that I was never meant to follow that path, but if something like this had never crossed my path and challenged me I would never have challenged myself to spread my wings and explore different avenues, to get to know different people and try different things. So I got involved in drama. I can clearly remember the first time on stage in front of an audience, it was an out-of-body experience! And I can recall God saying that I could experience that feeling for the rest of your life. I had found my calling in playing characters and storytelling. So at a young age I realised how life often gives us challenges, sometimes big and sometimes small, but I truly believe that God never gives us challenges that we cannot overcome.

Faith Motau

Faith Motau

When I was at school I was the tallest, skinniest, darkest girl in my class every year and I was teased and bullied daily. When I went home in tears every day, my mom would say to me that the things I see as a weakness now will be my greatest strengths in life. This became my truth as I focused on the sports I loved and excelled in them, and soon others began to recognise my “weaknesses” as true strengths and blessings.

Kesa Molotsane

Kesa Molotsane

My biggest limit was having the whole class turn their backs on me in Grade 7. I believe that it was bullying on a different level. I overcame that by understanding that not everyone will be as considerate as you are. I was open to learning and treating experiences as learning curves and not as failures.

Ouma Tema

Ouma Tema

One of my biggest limitations that I have had to overcome is to look in the mirror and love what I see. Having to look at yourself in the mirror, face yourself and believe that you are amazing, even in a world that doesn’t want you to feel beautiful and that makes money out of your insecurities. I had to overcome my fears and negative thoughts that I am not beautiful or worthy or enough. Looking at yourself in the mirror gives you the opportunity to look in-depth and filter out the negative thoughts and encourage the positive thoughts. One of the greatest challenges is to look inside yourself and always be honest with yourself, the mirror provides that. For the longest time, I disliked my mirror because the magazines said I’m not beautiful, tv said that I am the before picture and there needs to be an after picture that you need to be like. Looking back on not appreciating what I saw in the mirror and what I appreciate now, makes me realise that I have overcome the limitations and narrative that sought to minimise my potential. Today I can look in a mirror and love what I see, and this gave me the confidence to start my own business and be okay with who I am, because what I see is amazing!

Tauné Block

Tauné Block

I’ve overcome the limits of stagnancy and complacency by setting goals that push me out of my comfort zone and require consistent work and dedication. I’ve seen myself move from a city where I had established myself and had an incredible support system of family and friends. The move ultimately morphed from a great life to one where I didn’t have half that comfort. I did this to become the woman my younger self always dreamed of being. In doing so, I’ve been growing, overcoming character-defining challenges in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise, but moreover, I’ve become stronger, a bigger risk-taker, fearless and ultimately a reminder to myself that anything is possible.

Jo-Dee Butler

Jo-Dee Butler

Growing up we didn’t always have everything we wanted but we definitely had everything we needed. I’m fortunate to have a mom who instilled a “can-do attitude” in me so I believe that no dream is too big or out of reach - no matter what the circumstances. Today, I host my own show, ‘The B-Side’ every Saturday afternoon, and I’m not afraid to take on the world. I have the confidence and willpower to tackle anything life throws at me!

Donnalee Roberts

Donnalee Roberts

One of my first experiences in my life of overcoming limits was being severely teased and bullied as a young girl for looking different and not having the material things that everyone around me had. I had to experience the limits that other people placed on me and it made me doubt everything about who I am and what my dreams were. I have dreamed about being a storyteller, actress and filmmaker for as long as I can remember but because of the limits and perceptions others placed on me and how they saw me, it made me doubt myself and whether I would ever fulfill my dreams. It was only once I entered high school and made some amazing friends that, along with my mother and grandmother’s encouragement, I began to believe in myself and my dreams again. I made a choice in my life that I wanted to become a woman one day that saw people. I want to be the human being that sees people, their pain and suffering and insecurities but also their kindness and beauty. I want to be the person who calls out the gold in people and sees the amazing in them, so that they can hopefully see it in themselves and overcome what they are facing. The mind shift helped me to really begin to see the amazing uniqueness in me and led me along a path of believing in myself more every day.

Martin Bester

Martin Bester

I was a small city boy, with big city dreams! I grew up in P.E, loved being busy acting in plays, performing with my bands and working on the radio. I gave it all I had, but yes, I always dreamt about doing it on much bigger platforms and stages. I got my break in 2002 and ever since I have appreciated the opportunities to work with the best there is in South Africa and sometimes the world. I never take it for granted. My message is, don’t hold back, don’t wait for your big break or big stage to deliver your biggest performance, do it wherever you are, even on the smallest stage. The size of the stage or platform must never limit your performance!

Dianne Broodryk

Dianne Broodryk

Believing in second chances, having hope in second chances and accepting help when you are at your lowest. At the age of 22 years, I developed chronic pain in my right groin and had to walk with a cane. I had lived a very physically active life up to that point. After my first hip replacement at the age of 34, I had my life back. Fast forward 10 years and the same pain started in my left groin. This time however, I knew what it was and saw the right doctors immediately and they were able to help. I haven’t looked back! I now have a full life that I can enjoy with my family. I don’t limp anymore and there is no need to manage the pain anymore. So no matter what, if you need help ask for it and then grab every chance you are offered.

Precious Mthembu

Precious Mthembu

As a young women coming from the rural area, moving to Durban I struggled to express myself verbally because of the language barrier. I could not understand nor speak English very well at school or on the sporting grounds. My self-esteem and confidence was extremely low which then stopped me from being GREAT. I always saw myself as inferior compared to other individuals. I used the dictionary as my tool during my early school days to improve my English language. I was then able to share and teach other learners more about my own isiZulu language. Sports played a huge role as well as it allowed me to grow and not be limited from becoming a better person. Now I make sure that my precious journey is full of my own energy not other people’s, so that it can last longer. Living life according to my own values defines my #LiveLimitless.

Lindie Strydom

Lindie Strydom

My career started when my childhood dream to one day play in Egoli came true the year after I finished school. I was part of the production for 12 years and loved every moment, but it is important to never stop dreaming and to always stretch yourself a little farther. So to prove to myself that you are never too old for new challenges, I ran my first half-marathon at age 40 and represented North Gauteng in cross country in 2018 and 2019. Dreams don’t have age restrictions or limits!