Rugby supremo realises Proteas dream . . . in bodybuilding

University of Fort Hare rugby administrator extraordinaire Mihlali Rodolo was capped by her country at the IFBB SA National Bodybuilding Championships in Durban on Friday.

It had been an honour the 32-year-old was hardly able to believe herself, having only become involved in the sport two years ago.

Rodolo received her Proteas blazer for managing the national junior girls’ team at the World Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships and Congress in Spain last year.

It was decided that the 2024 champs would be the perfect platform to award national colours to those who represented the republic in Barcelona.

At Fort Hare, Rodolo has overseen as many as seven sporting codes at any given time, having initially made her mark as an outstanding rugby administrator.

“It is a special moment for me to become a Proteas representative,” the sports officer said.

“This is something I have been working towards, but I never thought I would receive this accolade for bodybuilding. For me it’s always been rugby, rugby, rugby.”

In 2021, her endeavours in the oval-ball game earned her a spot on the University Sports South Africa (USSA) executive committee.

However, her foray into bodybuilding came by chance – in 2022. She was asked to sit in on an event taking place at the same venue in Johannesburg where the karate championships, in which she was involved, were being held.

Before she knew it, she was asked to take up the role of interim chair for USSA bodybuilding with the directive to help build its profile. This paved the way for her selection as a manager for Team SA.

“In Spain, I had the opportunity to deal with the athletes behind the scenes, making sure they received everything they needed and making sure their names were on the right lists,” she said.

“It was a nice experience to see people from different countries.”

The 38-member national team performed admirably, bringing in several medals and trophies across the bodybuilding and fitness genres.

On her return from Barcelona, Rodolo immediately set about the task of restoring bodybuilding to its former glory at Fort Hare.

Her first job was to employ a coach and in former UFH student and double national bodybuilding champion Chris Nguta she found an absolute gem.

Next came the call for athletes to join the programme.

Finally, she drew on her extensive experience to make sure the students’ requirements were met for clothing, supplements and other essentials.

“If you give students what they need, they will show you flames,” she said.

And, on fire they were, ratcheting up the medal count at the USSAs in North West despite many members having no previous experience of competitive bodybuilding.

By her own admission, Rodolo believed that she had been able to do the individual codes on her duty roster more justice after giving up three – leaving her with rugby, athletics and bodybuilding.

“Because I have had more time, it has been easier for me to revive bodybuilding. I really want this code to succeed.”

She quipped that she had even put on more weight thanks to not having to oversee so many sports.

“Imagine!”

(ends)