Remembering an accomplished fitness instructor

LERATO MALEKE
Correspondent | Wednesday July 25, 2012 00:00

 

On the streets of Mochudi, she is still praised for her remarkable career which she dedicated to changing people's lives through promoting health and fitness, transforming the Notwane shopping complex and the Bakgatla sovereign capital.

Born in Mochudi on the December 17, 1965, Nanky was the second child of Reverend Joseph Seoke and wife Nnana Seoke who was once a teacher at Linchwe Primary School in Mochudi. She is also a former matron for Deborah Retief Memorial Hospital in the same village.

The attractive Nanky who many admired, started her Primary education at Seingwaeng and later went to Phaphane. She completed her Junior Certificate at Molefi Secondary School and her higher education at Paul VI High School in Mafeteng, Lesotho. After completing high school,  she pursued a secretarial course at the Cathedral in Gaborone from 1986 to 1987. 

Nanky started her working life in 1987 until 1988 with Professional Service (Pty) and in 1988 she joined Energo project where she was with Air Botswana. Later she joined Debswana in 1992 as a Fitness Instructor, which was the beginning of her dreams unfolding. 

She worked at Debswana Jwaneng mine until 2000. While working for Debswana, the affectionate Nanky qualified as a Fitness Instructor through the Institute of Fitness Professionals in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1998.

In 2001, Nanky made the decision to follow her dream of becoming a Fitness Instructor.  She left for the United States of America to pursue a Degree and in 2005 she graduated from Magna-Cum-Lauder with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation and a minor in Nutrition from Howard University in Washington, USA.

She taught countless fitness classes in the USA, mostly at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and Howard University, Washington DC. She also took part in a huge HIV/AIDS fundraising event, which saw her, 1,500 American citizens and a few South Africans ride bicycles 575 miles (900km) across the State of Montana in the USA, from Missoula to Billings.

Nanky was also a published author and her first novel, titled Scarred, was published in the USA. It is now available and sold at University of Botswana.

She shared her fitness expertise with Batswana through the local media in Kutlwano Magazine, Botswana Television (Btv) and also in seminars and workshops. At the time of her death, this  hero was in the process of publishing another novel called, Fitness Guide and was also working on a DVD.

Nanky was the owner of Lifetime Wellness and Recreation Centre (LWRC) and she had big dreams for its future.

Throughout the years, she attended and was invited to take part as an official in several health and fitness conferences, workshops and seminars in Botswana and South Africa.

As a personality, Nanky was a true optimist; she always believed that any dream was possible to realise. She had a dream anchored on health and fitness and believed that anybody could attain real health and fitness, regardless of their age.

Nanky will also be remembered as a caring and peace-loving person, always eager to help others and loved bringing her family together. She was always attentive to the health needs of her parents. Her parents say they could always count on her to ensure that the family's Sunday lunch was prepared and served with love.