GEORGE NEWS - A 17-year-old kickboxer from Kleinkrantz who fought her way onto the South African team will not get the chance to represent her country after some visa appointment delays dashed the team's hopes of competing at the world championships in the United States.
Zonchique-Zoëlle 'Zizi' Barnard quickly established herself as one of the country's rising talents.
On 11 April, she won gold at the Martial Arts South Africa (Masa) Western Cape Provincial Champion-ships in Kuils River, earning selection for the Western Cape team. She continued her impressive form on 27 June, claiming double gold at the Masa National Championships in Pretoria, where she was selected to represent South Africa.
On 11 July, Zizi added another two gold medals at the Kickboxing Organisation of South Africa (Kosa) Championships in George.
Following Zizi's outstanding performances throughout the season, her inclusion on the South African team intended for the World Kickboxing Association's (WKA) championships was announced - but her excitement was short-lived.
When George Herald met Zizi, she spoke with quiet confidence and excitement about representing South Africa on the world stage after months of hard work and sacrifice.
Just minutes after the interview ended, however, the news reached the South African team that visa appointment delays made it impossible to compete in the United States in October.
Read "Visa delays dash South African kickboxing team's world championship hopes" on the George Herald web page.
Zizi's grandmother, Zonda, who has faithfully driven her to her training sessions and competitions, said the whole family was devastated. Zizi's mother, who lives in Gauteng, had already paid the required deposit to secure her daughter's place in the team, while the family had been raising funds towards the estimated R65 000 needed for the trip.
Although her opportunity to compete at this year's WKA World Championships has been cancelled, Zizi remains determined to continue training and pursue her dream of becoming a professional kickboxer.
Kleinkrantz's Zonchique-Zoëlle 'Zizi' Barnard on the beach where her journey began. Photo: Marguerite van Ginkel
For this young athlete, this setback is not the end of the journey, but simply another challenge to overcome on the road to achieving her goals.
Kickboxing more than a sport
Zizi's journey, however, is about far more than sporting success. Having faced personal hardship for much of her life, she experienced a major emotional setback that had severe emotional and physical consequences. Instead of allowing those challenges to define her, she made a conscious decision to reclaim her life through kickboxing.
Although she was raised with the traditional belief that girls do not participate in combat sports, she found herself drawn to the ring. Through the discipline of training and competition, she gradually rebuilt her confidence and sense of self.
Zonchique-Zoëlle ‘Zizi’ Barnard on the iconic Kleinkrantz beach stairs.
Now determined to pursue kickboxing as a professional career, Zizi credits much of her progress to her coach, Sensei Jani Jansen van Nieuwenhuysen of Invasion Kickboxing School in George. "He encouraged me to keep going when training became difficult, but more importantly, he genuinely cares about every student who walks through the doors," she said.
Zizi admitted that she nearly gave up during the demanding early stages of training, but said she was grateful that she persevered. Today, she says the sport has given her renewed confidence, discipline and inner strength.
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