July 25, 2011. Durban North College pupil Lize Pretorius has been selected to travel to Kiev in the Ukraine for the World Cadets Judo Champs.
Lize achieved success on a national level at the South African International Open Championships held in Cape Town in June. She trains at the Gladiator Fight Academy under trainer Johan Duckworth, and represents KZN.
The team is set to depart on August 8 (they fly first to Joburg and then towards the Ukranian capital) and the teenager is buzzing with excitement about her trip.
We asked Lize what she loves about judo. “A big thing in judo is the self discipline and control. You learn a lot from the sport on how to control your emotions and your temper. You must never fight anyone unless in competition or self defence.”
Lize’s favourite move is . . . wait for it . . . “Harai goshi”. I give a vague, uncomprehending look. “It’s basically a hip throw,” her dad De Villiers Pretorius leaps to the rescue.
Lize, who first got involved in judo when the family lived on a farm near Tzaneen, and heard about judo lessons when she read a flyer, said she was psyched for the competition, and knew that the Koreans, Japanese and Russian athletes would be providing some stuff competition.
She said that she had made some friends with fellow KZN judo fighters and was really looking forward to renewing those friendships.
Unfortunately the costs of travelling to the Ukraine are rather formidable and Lize still needs to raise a significant amount of funding to make her once-in-a-lifetime trip come true. While the teenager has travelled extensively around the country, she hasn’t yet had an opportunity to travel abroad.
Useful info: If you’re able to help, contact Esme or De Villiers Pretorius at pretorius@firecontrol.co.za
Contact numbers: Esme at 082 479 7042; De Villiers at 082 494 3858