Seventy-two year-old former rugby Springbok, Broadhurst Cona, has received a hero’s welcome as he arrived home in Gugulethu, Cape Town. This follows a 21-day hospitalisation period for COVID-19.
Cona, who is also an avid walker, attributes his recovery to fitness and discipline.
Young and old came out for a welcome guard of honour for Cona, proud in his Springbok blazer, which he received after the unification of sport in South Africa in 1992. Even after putting his green and gold jersey away, he has been consistent with his exercise regime.
Cona says it’s a regime that continued in the COVID ward at Groote Schuur Hospital.
“I went straight to the window and I started stretching; I started jogging. It was sore and jogging on one spot because there’s no space. I’d do press-ups. It was sore. I said I’m dying now but I said rather let me die in training than sleeping. So, every night I wake up at 2 o’clock and on the third day. it became normal and I was breathing freely, my lungs I think were open because of exercise,” says Cona.
Cona’s nephew, Mbulelo Mabikwe says the family was very worried as Cona also suffers from high blood pressure.
“Because he’s over (70 years old) we were more worried also because he’s our sole survivor in the family and we couldn’t even pay him a visit,” says Mabikwe.
Cona is a member of Walking with Macebo, the walking club in Gugulethu, and he’s known never to miss his routine. Convenor Mcebisi Skhwatsha says because Cona is a sportsman he is used to fitness.
“Because I know him to be a keen sportsman I also understood how he used his fitness to survive COVID. So, I was impressed. So, this means we should go more and more in making sure that people live healthy, do training and make sure they look after themselves, but the most important message is ‘stay at home, put on a mask and wash your hands and sanitise,’” says Skhwatsha.
With more than two-thirds of the country’s COVID-19 cases in the Western Cape, messages of encouragement and advice from recovering patients are welcome.
Cona is appealing to communities to adhere to health regulations and not to forget their exercise regimes.
Graphic below shows stats of COVID-19 cases in SA:
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