This International Women’s Day, under the theme “Give to Gain,” we celebrate the power of investing in women and girls, recognising that when opportunities are offered, growth, leadership, and lasting impact are attained. At Kick4Life, we have watched one of our colleagues, Teboho Phasumane, grow into a powerful example of how sport can unlock confidence, purpose, and professional opportunity.
Teboho has always been athletic. Raised in a family of Taekwondo athletes, with her father and uncle both deeply involved in the sport, she began training at just four years old through regular backyard training sessions. She was initially more interested in dancing, but this simple practice twice a week gradually grew into a lifelong passion for movement, strength, and discipline. She began competing in Taekwondo at the age of 11 while holding a blue belt and quickly progressed through dedication and hard work. By age 13, she had joined the national team and started competing internationally, earning a silver medal at her first tournament in South Africa, followed by multiple gold medals in subsequent competitions. In 2019, she proudly became the Number One, under 64 kg junior female Taekwondo athlete in the Southern African region, a milestone that strengthened her belief that consistency and commitment can open doors beyond imagination.
At age 11, Teboho’s journey with Kick4Life also began. Her primary school organised a trip to Kick4Life for HIV testing and soccer activities. During that visit, her teacher explained that Kick4Life was not only about football but also focused on youth development and empowerment. From this, she says, she started to understand the organisation’s broader mission, and years later, in 2021, that early awareness turned into a deeper connection when she began attending football sessions to watch a high school friend who was part of the Kick4Life FC. Through those visits, she connected more closely with the organisation’s mission to use sport as a platform for education, health awareness, and social change.
In 2023, Teboho formally joined Kick4Life as a volunteer Community Programmes Life Skills Coach through Lesotho United, an activity-based programme that uses the power of football and sport to promote gender equality, address sexual health and gender-based violence, and HIV prevention, while developing transferable life skills, entrepreneurship, and employability. She delivered sessions for young girls centred on leadership, health education, and personal growth. Through this work, Teboho developed into a confident facilitator, mentor, and role model, empowering girls in her community while deepening her own leadership skills. Alongside her coaching responsibilities, Teboho joined Kick4Life’s “Run4YourLife” weekly runs and walking sessions. Drawn by her natural passion for fitness, she became a regular participant and gradually took on organisational responsibilities, helping to coordinate the sessions as well as offering post-workout exercises.
For years, Teboho had quietly envisioned herself working as a gym instructor, and when she came across the announcement about the opening of a gymnasium at Kick4Life, the vision immediately resonated. As a part of SESLA (Sport for Education and Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa) and the Sustained Insight and Impact Initiative, backed by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the social enterprise gymnasium officially opened earlier this year. As well as generating income to support Kick4Life’s wider work, the facility will promote staff wellbeing and support strength and conditioning of K4L players and Academy scholars. Targeted sessions will also be delivered for elite athletes as well as marginalised community groups, including older people and children with disabilities, to promote healthy living and to tackle social exclusion.
As plans for the Bophelo Gymnasium & Health Club were taking shape, Teboho emerged as a natural fit for the initiative, and recognising her potential and dedication to youth development, she was selected to be trained through the SESLA grant, successfully attaining diplomas in Gym Instructing and Personal Training. Now employed by Kick4Life at the gymnasium, Teboho believes her journey with Kick4life has been transformational, stating:
“Kick4Life has had a life-changing impact on me. It transformed me from a young girl watching football on the sidelines into a qualified professional, mentor and leader. The organisation gave me opportunities, education, confidence, and a clear sense of direction. It shaped both my career and my character, and it continues to play a significant role in my personal and professional growth.”
Today, Teboho works directly with gym clients to improve their health, strength, and overall wellbeing by designing programmes, guiding safe exercise, and motivating fitness enthusiasts to reach their goals. Her work mirrors her own journey, helping others grow stronger, both physically and mentally. Her story reminds us that when we give women the tools, trust, and space to lead, we gain stronger communities, healthier futures, and a more equitable world for all. Her journey is truly a powerful reflection of “Give to Gain” in action.
