A cycling enthusiast is seeing her leap of courage coming to fruition in a long and challenging life journey to honour her mother, after her devastating death due to cancer.
Last December marked ten years since Omphile Motaung’s mother, Mantoa Motaung, had died.
The energetic Omphile (25) has since turned her grief into a cycling passion. Hidden talent has been unveiled as her venture to honour her mother and create cancer awareness unfolds.
She has established herself as a trailblazer black woman athlete in South African ultra mountain bicycle (MTB) racing and boasts with prestigious accolades.
Omphile says she uses her passion for cycling to help others like her, from underprivileged communities, who have lost a parent to cancer. She endeavours to share her story wherever possible and emphasises the importance of early cancer detection, the prevention thereof, and available treatment options.
She recently completed the gruelling 2 150 km-long Race Across South Africa (Rasa) Freedom Challenge from Pietermaritzburg to Paarl in 21 days.
With five years’ experience under her belt, she has completed some of the toughest races in this sports discipline, which include The Munga in 2021 and the ABSA Cape Epic.
She has illustrated her ability by winning in every amateur category with her Exxaro MTB Academy race partner. Lesley Massey, a top Free State cycling champion, mentored her.
Originally from Bloemfontein, she now resides in Johannesburg.
Pursuant to her mission to create cancer awareness, Omphile has partnered with Icon Oncology. She recalls the impact of her mother’s cancer diagnosis in 2007 on her own life. Her mother never disclosed her illness to anyone because she was “used to taking care of everyone”.
“The thought of being taken care of was a foreign concept to her, as with so many other mothers,” says Omphile.
She was 14 years old when her mother died.
“A strong woman who resonated with the meaning of her name X Mantoa, a fighter – became weaker.”
Omphile played the role of caregiver because her mother could not afford home-based care. Mantoa’s ill health was aggravated by epilepsy, a condition she had been diagnosed with prior to her cancer diagnosis.
“When we heard Omphile’s story, we were moved by her bravery and determination to make such a positive difference despite all she has been through,” says Beverley Sebastian, head of the socio-economic development committee at Icon Oncology.
“Her compassion for people living with cancer and drive to make a difference resonate with our values of compassion.”
