Surfer, 63, shows beauty is beyond boundaries
FLYING the flag high for senior citizens in Durban, Sibongile Gwala, 63, won the KZN Heroes and Heroines Senior Citizens title at a pageant held at city hall last weekend to celebrate beauty in all its forms.
Gwala, who is known for her vocal support of healthy living on social media and is regularly spotted surfing on Durban’s beachfront, said: “When they announced my name, I felt overwhelmed and my husband Victor started crying.
“I enjoyed every minute of being in the pageant. I thought I would be nervous, but I was made to feel so comfortable, I forgot that I was a senior citizen and felt like a youngster again. My family were so supportive and my daughter helped me choose my outfit and shoes.
“This pageant’s theme was ‘Beauty Comes in Different Forms’ and there were all types of people who competed,” said Gwala.
While she holds the title, Gwala said she would be visiting other senior citizens and retirement homes to promote an active lifestyle among the elderly.
“With this crown, I want to tell senior citizens out there to assert themselves, but always in a nice way. Even if your family have let you down or abandoned you, lift yourself up and get involved in some social activities,” she said.
Gwala gets up every day at 4am and leaves her Lamontville home for the beachfront where she walks from uShaka to Moses Mabhida Stadium. After that she surfs every morning from 9am and also goes to aerobic classes four times a week.
Having a history of diabetes in her family, Gwala said, “I have an app which counts the kilometres as I am walking and it even has a voice which encourages me to keep going.
“I was 117kg and went down to 83kg and I eat lots of fruit and veg. I think being active has made me feel more energetic.”
Another winner on the night was Nontobeko Hlongwane, who won the Mrs KZN Heroes and Heroines title as well as being named first princess for the Fuller-Figured category.
Hlongwane, who is from Cato Manor and leads a busy life as wife and mother to four children, said: “It was like a dream come true. I was not that nervous, and when I took the crown I felt so happy.
“There can be a perception because you are married that your focus should be on your family. The message I wanted to share is that, even if you are married, you can do whatever you want to do. My husband has always been very supportive of my dreams. Grab any opportunity that comes your way with both hands and let your beauty shine out there,” said Hlongwane.
Organiser of the pageant, Shilex Shange, said the event was to build confidence among the participants, from the mature generation to disabled members of the community.
“The show was a great success and our winners are going back to their communities to start different projects.
“We looked for beauty beyond society’s boundaries. Beauty comes in many different forms, regardless of race, shape or age,” said Shange.