TRACK & FIELD importantly , he also qualified to represent South Africa in the 1500m at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games . However , due to the country ’ s Apartheid policies and being banned from international sport , it was not meant to be . Gericke then retired in 1985 to focus on his psychology studies at the University of Pretoria .
Passing on the Lessons
According to Henning , another important lesson he learnt on the track was that winning and losing go hand-in-hand . “ People tend to have a misconception as to what success is about , as if they think you have to succeed all the time . The reality is that it is never going to happen . Every athlete or team I have worked with needed to first learn how to deal with disappointments , to enable them to become a champion . Failure is actually fantastic . It is what helps athletes become tough ,” he says .
This is just one of the things he passes on to the athletes he works with , and he says it was especially useful when he first got involved with the Springboks in 2004 . “ The first time I walked into the Springboks dressing room was shortly after the notorious ‘ Kamp Staaldraad .’ It was a divided team , with the Sharks players in one corner and the Bulls in another . The players barely spoke to each other , and the challenge was to turn things around , but we succeeded , and in 2004 we won the Tri-Nations Tournament ,” recalls Henning .
“ In 2006 the team faced another crisis when they lost the first four games of the Tri-Nations , including a terrible 49-0 loss to Australia . I remember asking the players how we are going to turn things around , and Pierre
Spies was one of the first players to stand up , telling everyone how he had to overcome adversity after his dad died . Then Breyton Paulse spoke , and it went on until every player had shared something intimate about how they had overcome setbacks . Afterwards , it was a rejuvenated team , and the Boks went on to win their last two games . The next year we won the World Cup , and to me , it symbolises what life is about .”
Coaches on the Run
While Henning is working closely with Jake White again , it is not all just about rugby . At the time of writing , the Bulls were due to take on the Griquas in a Currie Cup encounter at Loftus in Pretoria on 10 October , but the afternoon kick-off time was not going to stop Henning and Jake from running the Optimum Meiringspoort Virtual Race in the morning – and they were challenging the coaches of the other Currie Cup teams to consider doing the same .
Henning explained that he and his family had planned to go down to the Western Cape to do the Optimum Meiringspoort Half Marathon for the first time . The race runs along the scenic Meiringspoort mountain
Henning with Jake White
pass through the Swartberg between the towns of De Rust and Klaarstroom , linking the Little Karoo and Greater Karoo regions . Due to the COVID-19 lockdown , the race proper was cancelled this year , but the virtual run still allowed runners to be part of the event , and also offered an opportunity to run for a good cause .
“ It is essential for everyone involved with the Vodacom Bulls to acknowledge the support of our fans across South Africa ,” says Henning . “ To do the race is an excellent way to do so , and by running for about an hour , we will be contributing towards the De Rust COVID-19 Feeding Scheme , Herberg Childrens Home in Robertson and various other local community projects .”
According to Henning , he and Jake still had to decide whether they would be running 5km or 12.5km , but he said if he had his way , they would opt for the longer run , to really get the endorphins flowing . “ It will increase the chance of experiencing a proper ‘ runner ’ s high ,’ leaving us feeling positive and energised for the big encounter at Loftus ,” he enthused .
This article was supplied by The Department of Sport ( TuksSport ) at the University of Pretoria . Tuks is home to some of the best sporting opportunities in the world , with membership of more than 30 sport clubs open to students , staff , alumni and the community . To find out more , go to www . up . ac . za / tukssport .
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