Against The Odds: The Story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba

Download or read book Against The Odds: The Story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba written by Lorato Trok and published by . This book was released on 2019-09-12 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Against All Odds - The Story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba tells the heroic story of one of South Africa's most talented track-and-field athlete, Rosina Sedibane Modiba. Modiba is a woman from the township who dared to dream, despite the odds. And with the persecution of another female African athelete; Caster Semenya; this book is even more relevant.Modiba is a pioneer because as a black African woman athlete, she competed in multi-racial championships in 1976; at the height of apartheid and when it was illegal to compete against whites. Also this was during one of the most historic and volatile periods in South African history. She made history when she became the first black South African woman athlete to win a gold medal in 1500m during the multi-racial provincial championships at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria in March 1977. Rosina astonished everyone when she beat the current record holder and favorite in the white federation, Sonja Laxton.Rosina was a dominant force in athletics in the country, dominating in both the black federation and in multiracial meets. This at a time when even the stadiums where Rosina competed in multi-racial races were in designated white areas. The pass laws were still in place and blacks needed permission to get to the stadiums. That prevented a majority of black people who wanted to see Rosina run from going.