WHITEBOOI Geronay

General
CHANGE IN APPROACH
She admits she often focuses too much on her technique rather than on the overall result, which she says can work against her. "I will have to make a mindset change. Technically I am considered one of the best. Unfortunately, it is not always an advantage when fighting. Often during a bout, I am too focused on the execution of my technique. It needs to be perfect as I aim to win with beautiful throws. Another mistake is that I tend to doubt my abilities at crucial times. In contrast, most of my opponents don't care how they win. Their approach is more aggressive. If the need arises, they don't mind to brawl it out, to force you to make mistakes and get penalised. A few points here and there are all it takes to win. It is demoralising to be in the dying seconds of a fight still needing to score points." (up.ac.za, 22 Jan 2021)

LIFE CHANGER
She says she has used her talent in judo to escape the challenges faced by youth in her local community, and provide financially for her family. "If it were not for judo, I would probably have dropped out of school as a lot of my friends did. Where I grew up, gangs and drugs are a reality. So who knows how my life would have played out. I am now in the position where in a year or two from now [speaking in 2018] I will be able to provide for my family. Although I might not be able to give them the world, I will certainly make sure that their standard of living improves." (up.ac.za, 25 Apr 2018)

EDUCATION
After earning a bachelor's degree in financial management from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, she has studied towards an honours degree in internal auditing and a postgraduate diploma in entrepreneurship from the same university. She took a break from her studies in 2020 to focus on preparing for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (teamsa.co.za, 01 Jan 2021; gsport.co.za, 06 Jun 2020)