WHO’ S ON YOUR ULTIMATE TRAINING PARTNER LIST?
What if you could train with any athlete in the world, from any sport? Who would you choose? We put the question to some of South Africa’ s top athletes …
By Mark Etheridge
ANNEKE BOSCH
( Proteas Women’ s cricket all-rounder)
“ If I could train with anyone from any sport, I’ d probably choose Novak Djokovic. I love tennis and what he’ s been able to accomplish over the years is insane. His achievements speak for themselves, but what interests me most is everything behind the performances that we don’ t always see. Tennis is a very demanding sport, both physically and mentally, and I think there’ s a lot one can learn about how he prepares his body, manages his recovery and stays consistent over such a long period of time. Probably the biggest reason I’ d choose him is his mindset. He’ s been on top of his sport for so long that it comes down to much more than physical ability … His attention to detail, discipline, preparation and ability to adapt is something anyone can learn from. I’ d love to train alongside someone who has a different sporting background, to get an idea what they do and how they stay on top. For me it wouldn’ t just be about training with the greatest tennis player ever, it would be about taking those lessons back into my own sport.”
DANIYAL MATTHEWS
( 2025 national road race champion – cycling)
“ I would definitely choose Tadej Pogačar, current world road champion and five-time Tour de France winner. Whenever he even gets on the start line, whatever the course, it’ s almost like you know he’ s going to win. We’ re also of a similar age and from the interviews and behind-the-scenes footage I’ ve seen, he just seems a really nice guy, easy to approach and talk to. He’ s fun and easy-going but also extremely professional. He’ s obviously acquired a lot of knowledge over the last 10 years. So if I could train or even spend a day with him, I know I’ d learn so much about the sport, about him and his holistic approach to cycling and also the knowledge he’ s gained through working with his top coaching structures.
MICHAEL HOULIE
( 2026 Commonwealth Games silver-medallist swimmer)
“ Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has been my sporting hero for the longest time … I’ d love the opportunity to observe and learn from him. We don’ t do the same sport, but to just be around him to understand what mastery looks like and what goes into it. He’ s definitely one of the‘ GOATs’ of football. He’ s in his 40s now and still competing at the highest level. To be able to understand what goes into that, preserving your body, taking care of your nutrition, the recovery. Even the training and being so specific and firing on all cylinders. Those skills are transferable across all sports … I’ d also love to simply be around such an elite person. It would automatically raise my own levels.”
ESTI VAN TONDER
( Paris Olympian, African and national sprint kayak champion)
“ I’ ve actually trained with many of my idols in the sport because of our training centre here at Roodeplaat Dam. But I think New Zealand’ s Lisa Carrington [ that country’ s most accomplished Olympian ] is quite an obvious choice for her accomplishments in sprint kayaking. But more than that, I would just love to experience the New Zealand kayak training structure and how they’ ve managed to just excel their young athletes throughout the ranks, and get their crew boats to be world-class every Olympic cycle. So Lisa is kind of the pioneer for women’ s kayaking in New Zealand, but there’ s a whole structure along with her coach, Gordon Walker, that just seems to be able to get the best out of whatever athlete they get.”
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