Joné is on top

of her game

No hurdle seems too high for Joné Kruger, a second-year pharmacy student at the campus in Potchefstroom who lets nothing stop her from excelling academically and on the athletics track.

The 20-year-old is one of the top-performing students in her class and also the best junior heptathlon athlete in Africa.

 

Heptathlon is a sport that consists of seven events: 100 m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 m, long jump, javelin and 800 m.

 

Never too early to start

 

The Potchefstroom-born athlete started playing tennis at the tender age of four, and moved to athletics at the age of seven. Over the years she went on to win a number of sporting titles.

 

In 2017 she competed at the Junior African Games in Tlemcen, Algeria, where she was crowned African heptathlon champion.

 

This year she has only competed at the very first Varsity Cup. “Due to a back injury I cannot take part in any competitions until I have fully recovered,” says Joné. She adds that one of her long-term goals is to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2020.

 

Top academic achiever

 

Joné has been an exceptional student from as early as she can remember. She matriculated at Hoërskool Potchefstroom Gimnasium, where she passed with an average of 86% in eight subjects.

 

In her first year at the NWU, she obtained distinctions in all her modules and continues to see the fruits of her hard work in her second year. “When you enjoy what you do, it is really easy to achieve the best results.”

 

 

Joné Kruger represents South Africa at the Junior African Championships that were held in Algeria last year.

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