KHETSIWE : SELF-LOVE IS WHAT PUSHES ME

MBABANE – Self-love is her driving force to a better version of her body image. Meet Khetsiwe Hlophe, 35-year-old wellness champion and physical activist both at work and in her community.

The Royal Swaziland Sugar Cooperation’s (RSSC) Senior Internal Auditor, wife and mother of three used to weigh 76kg, wearing size 38. However, she had the desire to look slimmer and physically fit and used that as her inspiration to the first step of her transformation – working out daily through jogging and hitting the gym. Evidently, transforming one’s physical image demands a lot of investment: nutritionally and socially.

Hlophe said she started training five years ago, driven by self-love and the desire to live a healthy lifestyle. She has managed to sweat the extra weight off at the gym and on the road, dropping to 64kg, a perfect fit for dress size 32 now. She has learnt to balance work, family and gym schedules, but cited the challenges that came with the new lifestyle. 

Inspiration

She is a true inspiration in the community and within her corporate circle, encouraging fellow colleagues and employees to live a healthy lifestyle. Her diet includes protein, vegetables, oatmeal and limited starch. “Changing my diet was one of the toughest challenges I encountered in my transition journey. I had to be cautious of what to eat and when. Believe me, it costs a lot of self-discipline and focus because working out is also guided by the diet and if you cheat on it, it will not work,” she said.

Her training routine involves morning runs of 10-15 km on weekdays, wrapping up each day with aerobics and strength training sessions in the evening. On weekends, she hits the road, embarking on long runs.

She completed two Comrades Marathons in 2017 and in June 2018, which was about 90km from Durban to Pietermaritzbur. Currently, she is preparing for a 56km Two Oceans Marathon, which will take centre-stage in April 2019 in Cape Town.

“The best comes only to those who sweat. One day I looked in the mirror and was not content with my physical appearance, so I decided to work on it. I love myself too much and since I am a self-driven character, I endured the agony that came with training but for a good course,” she said. She said nothing was unattainable and the key ingredient to success was a positive mindset and revealed that enduring physical training had taught her to face and conquer life challenges, both at work and at home. The RSSC athlete, trains at the company’s wellness centre managed by Fitness Zone and sometimes joins running clubs such as Manzini Striders, Zithande and GFC. She encouraged people dealing with weight issues to work hard for the body they desire and not give in to failure.
 

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