{"id":295940,"date":"2026-02-26T15:36:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T13:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T15:39:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T13:39:26","slug":"from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/","title":{"rendered":"From surgery to starting line: Young man\u2019s journey began with Smile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BLOEMFONTEIN –<\/strong> Amongst the runners that will line up for the start of the Mimosa Mall Marathon 10km race on Saturday 28 February, there will be one special young man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Realeboha Matia (21) from Ficksburg once lay on an operating table. Now, thanks to the Smile Foundation, he has the courage to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was born with Moebius Syndrome (facial paralysis) and syndactyly (webbed fingers). He grew up facing physical challenges that many people never see or understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2012, the Smile Foundation facilitated the reconstructive surgeries. These surgeries improved his physical function. They opened the door to confidence he had never known before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Realeboha Matia received life changing operations with the help of the Smile Foundation. PHOTOS: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, Realeboha refused to be defined by his condition. He worked hard, built his strength and found freedom in movement, and discovered confidence step by step. Now, he is preparing to take on the Mimosa Mall 10km. He is not doing this as a professional athlete. Rather, he is determined to prove that his journey did not end in the operating theatre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmile Foundation didn\u2019t just help me physically,\u201d says Realeboha. \u201cThey gave me a chance. Running this race is my way of showing other children that where you start doesn\u2019t have to be where you finish.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will run proudly to support the Smile Foundation. His goal is to raise awareness about Moebius Syndrome. He also aims to highlight the importance of access to reconstructive surgery for children with facial differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His story is not about perfection. It is about possibility. It shows families currently navigating surgery that there is life beyond the hospital ward. Confidence can grow in the most unexpected ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Realeboha Matia from Ficksburg, today. The hand holding the medal was the one that was once syndactyly joint.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He may be the one on the track, but he is supported by a powerful circle behind him. The Sweat Shop has provided his running shoes, Southern Sun Bloemfontein is generously offering accommodation and breakfast, and 32Gi has supplied the sports nutrition needed for his training and race-day preparation. Together, they have ensured Realeboha has everything he needs, but it is his determination that drives him forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about Smile Foundation: Jong brandslagoffer se uitkyk verbreed n\u00e1 operasie danksy Smile-week<\/a> and Smile-week: Help kind wat byna deur hond verskeur is en ook vele ander<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Smile Foundation continues to provide life-changing reconstructive surgery. It also offers psychosocial support to children across South Africa. More than 5,000 children have been supported to date. This helps them build not only function, but self-belief.

On 28 February, every kilometre Realeboha runs will carry a simple message: healing can lead to strength, and strength can lead to hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A young man that was once helped by the Smile Foundation, takes on the 10km Mimosa Mall Marathon. His story is one of hope. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":295944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"66","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"30","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"3","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"22","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1,22],"tags":[8294,7874,7909,8997],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-295940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-sport","tag-bloemfontein","tag-local-news","tag-recommended","tag-smile-foundation"],"yoast_head":"\nYoung man's journey began with Smile<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A young man that was once helped by the Smile Foundation, takes on the 10km Mimosa Mall Marathon on Saturday. His story is one of hope.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From surgery to starting line: Young man\u2019s journey began with Smile\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A young man that was once helped by the Smile Foundation, takes on the 10km Mimosa Mall Marathon on Saturday. His story is one of hope.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VrystaatKroon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VrystaatKroon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-26T13:36:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-26T13:39:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_9780.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lientjie Mentz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lientjie Mentz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lientjie Mentz\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9261815c8892baa2ce9bdf3d7911b749\"},\"headline\":\"From surgery to starting line: Young man\u2019s journey began with Smile\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-26T13:36:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-26T13:39:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":467,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/IMG_9780.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Bloemfontein\",\"Local News\",\"Recommended\",\"Smile Foundation\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/\",\"name\":\"Young man's journey began with Smile\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/IMG_9780.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-26T13:36:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-26T13:39:26+00:00\",\"description\":\"A young man that was once helped by the Smile Foundation, takes on the 10km Mimosa Mall Marathon on Saturday. His story is one of hope.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/IMG_9780.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/IMG_9780.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Realeboha Matia\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"From surgery to starting line: Young man\u2019s journey began with Smile\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\",\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"VrystaatKroon\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/VrystaatKroon\\\/\"],\"description\":\"VrystaatKroon is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area. VrystaatKroon has loyal readers who look forward to receiving the newspaper in their mailboxes twice a month on a Wednesday \u2013 free of charge. is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area.\",\"email\":\"vrystaatkroon@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27514047600\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9261815c8892baa2ce9bdf3d7911b749\",\"name\":\"Lientjie Mentz\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0f10468872f142f3de0353ab7e087a027f9286f1e3d5c0df6d52e7354f92b8c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0f10468872f142f3de0353ab7e087a027f9286f1e3d5c0df6d52e7354f92b8c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0f10468872f142f3de0353ab7e087a027f9286f1e3d5c0df6d52e7354f92b8c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lientjie Mentz\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/author\\\/lientjie-mentz\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Young man's journey began with Smile","description":"A young man that was once helped by the Smile Foundation, takes on the 10km Mimosa Mall Marathon on Saturday. His story is one of hope.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"From surgery to starting line: Young man\u2019s journey began with Smile","og_description":"A young man that was once helped by the Smile Foundation, takes on the 10km Mimosa Mall Marathon on Saturday. His story is one of hope.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/","og_site_name":"VrystaatKroon","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VrystaatKroon\/","article_published_time":"2026-02-26T13:36:37+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-26T13:39:26+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_9780.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lientjie Mentz","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lientjie Mentz","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/"},"author":{"name":"Lientjie Mentz","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/person\/9261815c8892baa2ce9bdf3d7911b749"},"headline":"From surgery to starting line: Young man\u2019s journey began with Smile","datePublished":"2026-02-26T13:36:37+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-26T13:39:26+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/"},"wordCount":467,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_9780.jpg","keywords":["Bloemfontein","Local News","Recommended","Smile Foundation"],"articleSection":["News","Sport"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/","name":"Young man's journey began with Smile","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_9780.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-26T13:36:37+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-26T13:39:26+00:00","description":"A young man that was once helped by the Smile Foundation, takes on the 10km Mimosa Mall Marathon on Saturday. His story is one of hope.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_9780.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_9780.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Realeboha Matia"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/from-surgery-to-starting-line-young-mans-journey-began-with-smile\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"From surgery to starting line: Young man\u2019s journey began with Smile"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/","name":"VrystaatKroon","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization","name":"VrystaatKroon","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"VrystaatKroon"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VrystaatKroon\/"],"description":"VrystaatKroon is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area. VrystaatKroon has loyal readers who look forward to receiving the newspaper in their mailboxes twice a month on a Wednesday \u2013 free of charge. is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area.","email":"vrystaatkroon@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27514047600","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/person\/9261815c8892baa2ce9bdf3d7911b749","name":"Lientjie Mentz","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f10468872f142f3de0353ab7e087a027f9286f1e3d5c0df6d52e7354f92b8c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f10468872f142f3de0353ab7e087a027f9286f1e3d5c0df6d52e7354f92b8c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f10468872f142f3de0353ab7e087a027f9286f1e3d5c0df6d52e7354f92b8c4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Lientjie Mentz"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/author\/lientjie-mentz\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_9780.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":265685,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/bloemfonteiners-kampioene-in-aflosnommers-op-hyrox-in-kaapstad\/","url_meta":{"origin":295940,"position":0},"title":"Bloemfonteiners kampioene in aflosnommers op Hyrox in Kaapstad","author":"Lientjie Mentz","date":"24 July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"BLOEMFONTEIN. 'n Hele paar Bloemfonteiners het uitgeblink in Hyrox Kaapstad wat op 19 en 20 Julie in die Kaapstadse-konferensiesentrum aangebied is.Dit was vanjaar die derde keer dat di\u00e9 sportgeleentheid aangebied is. Hyrox is 'n binnenshuise fiksheidskompetisie wat hardloop oor 8km afwissel met agt oefenstasies.Deelnemers moet agt oefeninge doen met 1km\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Corrief.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Corrief.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Corrief.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Corrief.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Corrief.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Corrief.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"BloemNuus","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnuus","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=295940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/295944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=295940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=295940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=295940"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=295940"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=295940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}