BW’S FIRST FEMALE PROFESSIONAL GOLFER
What are some of your greatest achievement as a player?
There are quite a few but the first one was in 2012 when I was a student at Ledumang Senior Secondary School and awarded Sportsperson of the Year award. I was also the captain of the University of Arkansas in Monticello Women’s Golf team to a first place finish at the NCAA Division II Heat in March 2021. The other achievement was when I became the first Female Professional Golf Tour Player from Botswana this year and the appointment into the IOC Young Leaders Programme.
And the other end of the scale, what are some of
your lowlights?
The period between senior secondary school and the first two years of university when I was forced to choose between golf and school since there is no college golf in Botswana was very difficult for me. I knew I was supposed to do both and I couldn’t do one without the other because they are equally as important for my purpose.
Female participation in sport is much lower than male representation. Why do you think that is the case?
I think some of it may be cultural or societal beliefs and lack of education. For instance, from my experience the girls that I used to play with didn’t find golf valuable or they didn’t look at it as a possible career path because they had never seen it done by anyone.
What can be done to address this?
I believe we can start with raising awareness and providing education to highlight the possible benefits of sports at different levels because not everyone wants or is able to play professional sports but there are other career opportunities and economic benefits available once someone is within a certain sporting industry.
What do you think can be done to improve the status
of golf locally?
We can start by making golf accessible to people of all age groups, especially in areas where there are golf courses already. If we combine accessibility with education about the sport, I believe we can see a difference in our golf status.
You were recently selected for the IOC young leaders programme, how do you feel about it?
I am very grateful and honoured to be selected as an IOC Young Leader. This is a great achievement, which I believe will help in my project of developing young golfers.
Kindly tell our readers about the programme.
This is a four-year programme that will support young leaders chosen from more than 360 applicants because they have demonstrated their passion for using sport as a tool for social and economic change. The young leaders are balanced in terms of gender and diversity, representing 25 countries across five continents. They will be supported in the creation of grassroots sport-based initiatives aimed at addressing issues in their communities.
What makes a great athlete?
I believe what makes a great athlete is the ablility of an athlete to step into their purpose and the confidence to be unique in their journey.
I understand you have an organisation, Thanya Monana, please tell our readers about its mandate?
Thanya Monana is an organisation that is still in its early development stages. The organisation seeks to utilise learnt experience and knowledge to expose the youth who come from underserved communities to the growth and empowerment opportunities within different industries that are not accessible to them, including the sport of golf.
What are some of your organisation’s achievements?
Our first achievement is submitting a project idea to the IOC Young Leaders Committee and getting selected for 4 years of funding.
Tell us about your upcoming Fundraising Golf Day, what is its objective?
The objective of the Ouname Mhotsha Fundraising Golf Day taking place at Stanbic Bank Gaborone Golf Club on June 30th, 2023 is to host an event that can help with raising funds for professional golf expenses while providing a space for youth business owners to benefit from the networking opportunities from the event sponsors. We also want to use this event to invite non-golfers to come and learn about golf and what the sport has to offer for them.
What are your career future plans?
I want to play in a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) event because that is the highest level of professional golf competition. I also want to qualify for the Olympics with the Botswana national team and to become an LPGA or Pga-certified teaching member after retiring from playing professional golf. My other dream is to establish partnerships to support golf development programmes in Botswana and across underserved communities in Africa.
Who is your inspiration?
I am inspired by what God can do with a human being. To be a trailblazer is not an easy task so every step that I take forward is always mind-blowing and it is a great inspiration for me to stay on my purpose and keep trusting God.
Thank God it’s Friday, what are your plans for the weekend?
It will either be golf, hiking with friends, spending time alone outdoors in a park or indoors singing and dancing to some music from home.