Introducing Sport Scientist Linda Sikweza

Linda Sikweza, who hails from Orlando East, Soweto, found her passion for sport in the most unlikely of ways. The influence of family pulled her into the field of sport and she now holds a BA Honours in Sport Science.

In 2020, Sikweza joined the Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute at University of Pretoria as a Sport Science Intern.

She has since worked her way up to being a Junior Sport Scientist at SEMLI. Working at SEMLI has broadened her experience and knowledge by exposing her to the various sporting areas, with Biomechanics being an area that interests her most.

Speaking with Oarabile Diphoko, Sikweza takes us through her journey into Sport Science and some of her career highlights to date.

Firstly, for those who do not know you, who is Linda Sikweza?

Linda Sikweza is a young lady from Orlando East, Soweto, with a passion for people. I studied at the University of Johannesburg, where I harnessed my interest in Sports Development and Sport Science. I was fortunate enough to start my Sport Science career at SEMLI (Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute), where I’m currently working as a Junior Sport Scientist for various sporting codes. I consider myself a hardworking and versatile individual, with a unique sense of humour.

Where does your love and passion for sport come from?

My sister and cousins were quite athletic growing up, and I unfortunately wasn’t as gifted as them. However, because we all lived in the same house and travelled together, I’d have to wait for them while they were at practice. It then made sense for me to get involved and stay in sport.

Did you always want to be a sport scientist?

I wanted to be a lot of things, from being a model to an air hostess, I wanted it all. But, I always knew I wanted to give back, so I studied Sports Development at the University of Johannesburg and then later went into Sport Science. This way I am able to still give back by helping professional and lifestyle athletes improve their health and sporting ability.

What are some of the most common misconceptions about your profession?

There’s quite a few, but I will just go through two I feel are more common. Firstly, Sport Scientists do the same thing as Personal Trainers. Sport Scientist is equipped with more specific knowledge about strength and conditioning, biomechanics and physiology of human movement.

The second misconception is that Sport Science is only for elite or professional athletes. There are opportunities to work with professional athletes and individuals, but there is a very big room to open to work with the general lifestyle population. One of our main roles as Sport Scientists is to help everyone achieve optimum health and move better.

In 2021, you were the Sports Scientist for the President’s XII at the SPAR challenge Series and in 2022 you were again called up for the USSA tennis championships in Potch. Tell us a little bit about those experiences and the role you played…

In 2021, I played a more assistive role to Charné Britz, who had done all the necessary conditioning in the build up to the Spar Challenge, so I was mainly responsible for the team during competition.

With the USSA tennis championships, I was involved with the TuksTennis team right from the beginning. I was able to devise various strategies and implement interventions in training and competition.

Both experiences involved a lot of learning, taught me about patience and that change is good sometimes. I worked with experienced coaches and technical teams with both, and everyone was always visible and willing to not only teach but learn from each other. Both experiences are unique, and have played a big role in fueling my passion for Sport Science.

What career advice would you give to those who aspire to be within this field?

You need to have a passion for sport. By that, I mean the long hours, early mornings, testing batteries, etc shouldn’t dishearten you. You need to want to wake up and do Sport Science, and at the end of the day still want to speak about Sport Science.

This field is also quite niche, and finding employment in it can be difficult, so be prepared for various challenges.

Which women in sport have influenced your career so far?

I’ve been fortunate enough to not lack role models or guidance since the start of my career. I look up to a number of women in sport, from athletes to support staff. My mentor, Taren Naidoo, has been there for me since I started studying. Shona Hendricks gave me a stepping stone and believed in me when I was getting my foot in. There’s a lot of females that have helped pave my path, the list will keep going. Minky Tshabalala, Tayla Chidrawi, KG Montjane, Mara De Bruin, Sheenagh Jordaan, Andile Dlamini, the list goes on.

With women’s sport on the rise, especially with 2023 being the year for women, what more can we do to elevate women in sport?

I agree that women’s sport is on the rise, I see women growing and inspiring other women. So, I think right now we should be advocating for gender equity. If there could be an increase in funding and coverage of women’s sport that would elevate women.

With South Africa hosting several woman’s tournaments this year (ICC U19 World Cup, Netball, Indoor Hockey, etc) which event are you looking forward to the most this year?

This is quite huge for South Africa, and I’m keen to see how the tournaments go. Like everyone else, I’m excited and look forward to all tournaments, but I have to be bias and say “NETBALL”. I don’t think there’s an explanation needed for that (hides).

What does the future hold for Linda Sikweza?

I’ve still got a lot of learning to do in my field; therefore I’m hoping the future comes with growth. I want to be a specialist in my field, and hopefully go into education and training.