In the absence of a deep rich history, it opens the door to creating new history in the present, if you work hard and achieve unique success.
South African wrestler Leanco Stans finds herself in that position since South Africa does not have an extensive history that speaks to competitive women’s wrestling.
Leanco Stans is a South African sportswoman who competes in freestyle wrestling , impressively winning a bronze medal in the 2016 African Wrestling Championship.
The informative site wrestling.org.za speaks to Leanco’s foundation. “Leanco Stans started wrestling as a young girl in a club where girls just didn’t wrestle. Thanks to her mother’s persistence and her own drive to succeed Leanco has grown into one of South Africa’s top female wrestlers, from winning gold as a young Cadet at the 2012 Continental Championships, to participating in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, to eventually winning a Bronze in a tough Senior category at last year’s Continental Championship.
Lallie (as she is known in wrestling) has taken another step on her journey to realizing her dream. On the 28th of February, she left on what can only be called an opportunity of a lifetime after having been selected by United World Wrestling to participate in the first of a series of training camps organized specifically to improve the level of woman’s wrestling in the Commonwealth Countries.”
Fifty three countries are members of the Commonwealth.
The countries span Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific and are diverse – they are amongst the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries. Thirty-one of the members are classified as small states – countries with a population size of 1.5 million people or less and larger member states that share similar characteristics with them.
Ms. Stans has privately trained for up to six months in Finland as she attempts to qualify for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Have you heard of this magnificent event?
There is something very significant and female friendly about them.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, are an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, in April of 2018.
It was the fifth time Australia had hosted the Commonwealth Games and the first time a major multi-sport event achieved gender equality by having an equal number of events for males and female athletes.
We wish Leanco the best in her future quest. We have supreme confidence in her because of her extraordinary past.
She certainly has made a name for herself.
Some of her fans are found at allafrica.com. On November 17, 2017 they reported, “She represented South Africa at the last Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China three years ago. She’ll be grappling at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships at Carnival City, Brakpan next month. The 20-year-old UP-Tuks wrestler admits she’s in for a tough challenge as quite a few Olympians will be competing.”
At up.ac.za they add, “Leanco Stans, the only female wrestler at Tuks won a bronze medal in the Junior under-66kg free style category, improving one position on her fourth place in 2016. She has represented South Africa at every African Championships since 2013.
Stans was given a bursary by the United World Wrestling Federation to train with some of Europe’s top female wrestlers in Finland as part of her preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She is the first female wrestler from Africa to attend the Academy.”
You see? History is being made as we speak.
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”…Robert Kennedy
Leanco is a member of a very important federation.
South African Wrestling Federation (SAWF) is the organization that governs amateur freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling for men and women in South Africa.
South African Wrestling Federation is affiliated to United World Wrestling (UWW) and is the national governing body of the sport. SAWF is also affiliated to SASCOC, and organizes national competitions such as the SAWF Presidents and Masters Championship.
They are a very progressive organization as well as they too have just made history.
The South African Wrestling Federation made history when the final member of their new Executive group was selected. Jeanne-Marie Coetser is the first female Vice president the federation’s history.
Congratulations to Ms. Coetser.
She has been a constant advocate for breaking down the stereotypes about women in this great sport and has been working closely with others in trying to increase the number of female athletes participating in Olympic wrestling.
What a great cause. It has no doubt will have a positive effect on Leanco’s future.
Leanco is from Bethal, South Africa.
Bethal is a farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The farms in the region produce maize, sunflower seeds, sorghum, rye and potatoes.
The town lies east of Johannesburg.
Bethal is famous for its potato industry. Other agriculture includes maize, sunflower seeds, sorghum, rye, oats and barley. Animal husbandry includes cattle, dairy and sheep farming.
They are also home to a well-loved international lodge.
The team at sa-venues.com welcomes, “The Lodge Bethal is a unique guest house in the heart of the Highveld grasslands and Cosmos Country in Mpumalanga. The Lodge is conveniently situated less than two hours’ drive from OR Tambo International Airport on the new N17 main route to Sodwana and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (Greater St Lucia Wetland Park).
We are the closest full service guesthouse in Bethal on the N17 from OR Tambo International Airport and Bethal is the most central town in the Highveld for the business representative. This luxury lodge is also midway between the Kruger National Park and the Drakensberg.”
Bethal is a village to be very proud of.
Leanco is a talented South African wrestler to be very proud of.
It is well documented how the growth in women’s freestyle wrestling is surging in the United States.
As we have just read, in terms of women’s freestyle wrestling, good things are happening in South Africa as well.
We suggest that you keep an eye on Leanco’s rising star and budding career.
By doing so, you will be an eye witness to female wrestling history in the making.
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OPENING PHOTO fci elite competitor, fciwomenswrestling2.com articles, photo via Leanco’s Facebook
https://www.sa-venues.com/visit/thelodgebethal/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethal
https://www.olympic.org/leanco-stans
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Commonwealth_Games
http://allafrica.com/stories/201711170332.html
https://rekordeast.co.za/152900/sas-leading-women-wrestler-ready-commonwealth-championships/
http://thecommonwealth.org/member-countries
http://wrestling.org.za/big-opportunity-for-lallie/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Wrestling_Federation
http://wrestling.org.za/new-sawf-executive-elected/
https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
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