![]() |
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
|
Your cart is empty |
||
|
Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation
This visitor's guide has been fully updated and revised to include changing garden exhibits and new features, such as the the Boomslang elevated walkway. An attractive memento and guide to Cape Town’s world-famous botanical garden, it traces the history and development of Kirstenbosch, from its establishment in 1913 to the showcase of indigenous flora it is today. It includes:
For over a century, the Comrades Marathon has captivated a nation. It’s an annual South African ritual, a day of inspiration and extraordinary achievement. Written in an accessible, anecdotal style, this book tells the absorbing story of a humble start in 1921, when only a handful of runners finished, to its current status as the world’s greatest ultra-marathon. It bears witness to the complexity of South African society and over a hundred years of change in a fascinating story that begins with the early heroes, Arthur Newton in the 1920s, Hardy Ballington in the 1930s and Wally Hayward in the 1950s, to official permission for women and people of colour to run in the 1970s, to nine-times winner Bruce Fordyce in the 1980s, democratic South Africa in the 1990s, the domination of the Russians in the early 2000s, and the ascent of black runners in the 2010s. And then came a worldwide pandemic and for only the second time in its history, the Comrades Marathon was cancelled. In 2022, participants once again lined up on the Old Main Road for the first time in two years to run the ultimate human race, this book tells the tale of the world’s largest ultra-marathon: its glories, its passions, its triumphs and tragedies.
This is not a book about cricket. It is the story of a man who just happened to play cricket at the highest level. Through Fire is at times a brutally honest and always fascinating work of introspection and critique that provides readers with unrestricted insight into the mind and heart of one of South Africa’s most interesting and charismatic national captains. There is the public persona of the tattooed, fashionable, mentally tough, immensely popular and yet at times, misunderstood Du Plessis. And then there is the authentic Faf. Du Plessis reflects on his growth from being a youth with a questionable moral compass outside of cricket, to becoming a leader known for his integrity, values, honesty, and empathy for his teammates and country. He reflects on how influential leaders such as Gary Kirsten, Stephen Fleming, Mohammed Moosajee, Russell Domingo, Ottis Gibson, and MS Dhoni moulded him as a man who leads with grit, purpose, and a love of people. But he also explores destructive relationships, providing his perspective, in devastating detail, on his final years of international cricket. Neither the changing room nor the boardroom is ever off limits. Through Fire is a no-holds-barred autobiography offering exceptional insight into the core being of an elite sports personality.
Eight-year-old Teko Modise didn’t mean to compete with his father, it was just that he was a soccer natural and everyone could see it. His father, in a fit of childlike jealously, kicked him out of the house, and when Teko tried to come back he kicked him out again. So little Teko made a plan. Every day he attended school as normal, and at night he slept out on the streets with other homeless children. This book is the true story of his rise to fame, to becoming ‘the General’, one of the best footballers South Africa has produced, and will allow readers to understand the story behind ‘the Curse’. At the peak of his career the world seemed filled with Teko. His face was on every major billboard, TV advert and magazine cover in the country. Little boys from suburbs to townships everywhere were lining up at barbershops asking for The Teko haircut. With a house in Sandton and driving an Aston Martin, Modise was about to make history in the upcoming Soccer World Cup of 2010. He had gone beyond being football royalty, he became a super star. The tabloids have called him an abusive lover, a cheating ex-husband, a neglectful father and an alcoholic egotistical footballer. But beyond these headlines is a story about a boy who played his way out of poverty on talent alone. Be inspired by this story of a young man with a resilient spirit who kept moving forward chasing his dreams, who not only survived, but made it, and made it big. The Teko Modise story is proof that anything is possible.
An astonishing 94.6% of businesses fail to sell, closing at an enormous cost to the owner, their family, their staff and the economy. It’s a shocking realisation to many business owners that after all the courage it took to start, the creativity and care it took to build, every business faces only two possible ends: a sale or closure. So you’ve got to build to $ell. Sweat, Scale, $ell shares real business-building stories about how ordinary business owners changed their fate using the Asset of Value™ method, a practical approach to building a winning business. With Pavlo Phitidis, they Sweated to reshape their business to be relevant to a changing world; they built a solid foundation for Scale; and then they pressed hard on the accelerator to ramp up growth in preparation for $ale to create a business any buyer would want. Phitidis draws on 25 years of direct experience in conceptualising and building businesses across four continents. He has developed and brought to market business assets in excess of US$300 million through a combination of business start-ups, turnarounds, sales and acquisitions. Phitidis started, built and sold 12 businesses in nine years and took the lessons from the two failures, two IPOs and eight sales to build a business that builds businesses. As a co-founder of Aurik he has worked with over 1 500 established businesses across most sectors in the economy, including family businesses, partnerships and lone business owners. PAVLO PHITIDIS is the resident entrepreneurial and business growth content contributor for Radio 702 and CapeTalk, the presenter and host of The Growth Engines for Business Day TV, as well as a speaker at both local and international business conferences.
Rassie Erasmus is al geniaal genoem. Hy is al roekeloos genoem. Nog sy lewe lank het hy dinge anders gedoen. Nou sal Rassie op sy kenmerkende openhartige manier gesels oor sy lewe vol voorspoed en teëspoed, op en weg van die rugbyveld – as Springbokspeler, provinsiale afrigter, en as die hoofafrigter wat die nasionale span na die Rugbywêreldbeker-sege in 2019 en ook in die aanloop tot 2023 se Wêreldbeker gelei het. Hy sal terugkyk op sy loopbaan as speler en afrigter, iemand wie se ingebore rugby-instink, vermoë om ’n wedstryd anders te lees en aptyt vir harde werk hom nog altyd onderskei het, en gelei het tot omstredenheid en mislukking, maar ook dawerende sukses. Rassie werk saam met die bekende joernalis David O’Sullivan om sy lewensverhaal te vertel. David is ’n bekroonde skrywer en omroeper.
4 World Champions. 3 Priceless Points. 2 Cups Back-To-Back. 1
Phenomenal Journey
From the winner of the Telegraph Sports Book Awards Cycling Book of the Year 2018 The first Tour de France in 1903 was a colourful affair full of adventure, mishaps and audacious attempts at cheating. Its riders included characters like Maurice Garin, an Italian-born Frenchman, said to have been swapped for a round of cheese by his parents in order to smuggle him into France to clean chimneys as a teenager, Hippolyte Aucouturier with his trademark handlebar moustache, and amateurs like Jean Dargassies, a blacksmith who had never raced before. Would this ramshackle pack of cyclists draw crowds to throng France's rutted roads and cheer the first Tour heroes? Surprisingly it did, and, all thanks to a marketing ruse dreamed up to revive struggling newspaper L'Auto, cycling would never be the same again. Peter Cossins takes us through the inaugural Tour de France, painting a nuanced portrait of France in the early 1900s, to see where the greatest sporting event of all began.
Written by bestselling author Phil Hewitt, Outrunning The Demons is an exploration of the transformative power of running – and how it can be the key to unlocking resilience we never knew we had. Running can take us to fantastic places. Just as importantly, it can also bring us back from terrible ones. For people in times of crisis, trauma and physical or mental illness – when normality collapses – running can put things back together again. After bestselling author Phil Hewitt was viciously mugged, stabbed and left for dead in 2016, he found himself suffering the acute symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Unable to make sense of the horrific experience that had happened to him, Phil found that dedicating himself to running was slowly but surely helping him heal. Outrunning The Demons is an enriching and celebratory exploration of the transformative power of running – and how it can be the key to unlocking resilience we never knew we had. Told through 34 deeply affecting real-life stories and covering such diverse themes as trauma, bereavement, addiction, depression and anxiety, this compelling book is an exposition of just why running can so often be the answer to everything when we find ourselves in extremis.
Hiking the Fish is the ultimate planner for anyone wanting to embark on the Fish River Canyon Trail. Written by expert adventure guides, it combines practical advice, handy tips and full-colour photographs to bring this exhilarating five-day hike to life. A detailed introduction to the canyon and its surrounds is followed by chapters that cover planning and preparation; bookings and accommodation; hiking, cooking and sleeping gear; nutrition and meal planning; and first aid. A comprehensive day-by-day route description forms the core of the book.
"Dié seun is vir groot dinge bestem . . ." Só het sy afrigters by Boland Landbou sedert sy hoërskooldae geglo. Toe hy op die bloedjong ouderdom van 19 die Curriebeker vir die Blou Bulle verower én die skopkoning Naas Botha se eindstrydpunterekord verbeter, het dit gelyk of sy pad na roem en rykdom geplavei was. Maar toe begin die dobbelstene verkeerd val vir die liefling van Loftus. Harsingskudding, Kamp Staaldraad, beserings en toé ’n allesverterende pilverslawing het hom laat steier. Sy sprokies-huwelik is verwoes en sy beroepslewe en geldsake is in ’n warboel gelaat . . . Dié boek onthul staaltjies oor sy rugbydae maar ook vriende en vertrouelinge se vergeefse pogings om Derick uit die kloue van verslawing los te wikkel. Dit is ’n diep menslike verhaal wat wys hoe dun die lyn tussen sukses en mislukking is en hoe maklik selfs die grootste helde tot op hul knieë gedwing kan word.
Springbok rugby public relations manager Annelee Murray was with the team for 244 matches, during which time she worked with seven national coaches and 21 Springbok captains. This is a celebration of her 20 year journey with the Springboks, she has unique stories to tell and most of the photographs in the book are her own images from her collection, many of which will be published for the first time.
Kimi Räikkönen is the Finnish superstar Formula One driver with a reputation for being fast on the track and silent off it – until now! In this superb and authorised portrait of Räikkönen, Kari Hotakainen gets to reveal the side of the man that few beyond his close family and friends have ever seen. Enigmatic and private, Ferrari’s former world champion driver rarely opens up to outsiders, but he granted Hotakainen exclusive access to his world and to his way of thinking. It ensures that this will be a book that will delight all fans of motorsport, who have long revered the Finn. Including never-previously-seen photographs from his own collection, The Unknown Kimi Räikkönen takes the reader into the heart of the action at grands prix around the world, behind the scenes as race strategies are planned, and opens up the private side of his life that he normally guards so carefully. With all the cult appeal of I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the raw excitement of Formula One and the insight of the best biographies, this is a book every sports fan will want to treasure.
In this truly remarkable life story, Saray Khumalo shares her epic journey to the top of the world: Mount Everest. From her childhood in Zambia and Zaire, to a corporate career in South Africa, through marriage and motherhood, Saray harboured one overriding ambition: to reach the summits of the world’s highest mountains. She first summited Mount Kilimanjaro, and then others, but her ultimate goal was to summit Everest. After three unsuccessful attempts, Saray became the first black African woman to summit the world’s highest peak. Her success was hard won, though – along the way, she suffered severe personal setbacks, serious health issues and life-threatening injuries. But her perseverance finally paid off, and Saray’s success at high altitude has helped change the narrative about who belongs on the mountains and whose stories are told. Saray’s story, which redefines common perceptions about what women are capable of doing and achieving, will inspire girls and women from all walks of life. In this fascinating memoir, she shares not only her incredible mountaineering feats, but also the lessons she learnt about life, perseverance and failing forward.
"I have this one term for the kind of woman my mother raised me not to be, and I call it a 'Do-Nothing B-tch'. It's the kind of chick that just tries to be pretty and be taken care of by somebody else. That's why I think it's hilarious when people say that my body looks masculine or something. Just because my body was developed for a purpose other than f-cking millionaires, doesn't mean it's masculine. I think it's femininely badass as f-ck because there isn't a single muscle on my body that doesn't have a purpose because I'm not a 'Do-Nothing B-tch'!." When Ronda Rousey made this speech she inspired women everywhere. Beyonce even played a recording on-stage and it went viral. But Rousey has been inspiring others her whole career. The journey to the top for the most dominant mixed-martial-arts fighter in history has been filled with challenges. From a childhood marked by speech problems to the painful loss of her father, she grew up repeatedly pushing her mind and body to the limit in order to win. She battled prejudice to become the first female fighter in UFC. Now she is the biggest name in the sport, breaking attendance levels and re-writing the history books with her astonishing knockout victories, most in under a minute. She has also forged a successful Hollywood career as an actor. In this honest and inspiring book, Rousey relives her greatest fights and shares her secrets for success and mental toughness. She reveals how we can all be at our best, even on our worst days, and how we can turn our limitations into opportunities. It will leave you ready to face your own challenges in life, whatever they may be.
Fully revised and updated, and with 60 new trails added, this fifth edition of Hiking Trails of South Africa is an essential resource for every hiker. Written by well-known author Willie Olivier, this extensive guide describes more than 500 trails across magnificent landscapes, from the iconic fynbos of the Western Cape to the majestic slopes of the Drakensberg. Whether you choose to hike close to civilization or explore a more remote area, take a short, hour-long walk or tackle an overnight hike of several days, there is a trail for you. Trail information includes:
The book also includes advice on selecting hiking equipment, staying safe on the trail and dealing with emergencies.
We all know South Africa has problems; we read about them in the newspapers, we see them on the streets and many people experience them in their daily lives. Fortunately, many of these problems can be solved using innovation and science. Innovation takes a look at inventions - developed in South Africa by South Africans - to address issues in the areas of healthcare, energy, environment and industry. Some of these inventions, such as a tea bag created to filter water for communities in rural areas, can save lives; others, such as a unique way to beneficiate titanium, could spell a new era of industry in the country. The book is broken down into sections on environment, health, energy, industry and education, and in each of those parts are examples of South African innovations, from a satellite system to map fires to the concept of sterilising mosquitoes to stop the spread of malaria. These have been developed by numerous organisations and institutions and showcase South Africa's excellence.
As a young, soccer-mad boy living in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Robert Marawa listened to the commentary of local football derbies on a small, crackling FM radio. As a teenager, he spent hours practising his presenting skills on his family’s home video recorder, reading from newspaper clippings his mother had carefully kept for him while he was at boarding school in Hilton. Marawa’s dream was to be a sportscaster who would be beamed into the homes of South Africa’s footballing fans. Robert Marawa’s career has exceeded his wildest imagination. ‘Madluphuthu’ has become arguably South Africa’s most popular and most recognisable sports broadcaster. With his quick turn of phrase, his baritone voice and his direct, no-nonsense approach, he has earned a loyal following on radio and television over the past two decades. In Gqimm Shelele, his signature sign-off phrase, Marawa shares his broadcasting journey from hosting World Cups and interviewing presidents to his multiple firings, controversial suspensions and what he believes are the political forces behind attempts to end his career. He confronts the cabal that has repeatedly driven him off air, the tabloid reports about his personal life and his multiple near-death experiences and health scares. With his trademark passion, Marawa addresses issues of transformation, sports administration, mentorship, political leadership and why Bafana Bafana keeps failing to win. He also shares his insights on what has made him a successful and popular radio and television broadcaster, giving a much-anticipated, behind-the-scenes look at his career.
The autobiography of New Zealand and All Blacks legend, Sonny Bill Williams, one of rugby's most entertaining and complicated figures. As a shy part-Samoan boy growing up in the suburbs of Auckland, Sonny Bill Williams thought about footy constantly. For him, the dream of playing professional NRL was so big that nothing else ever came close. Fast forward to 2004, and eighteen-year-old Sonny Bill's dream was coming true. Making his first-grade debut for the Canterbury Bulldogs, he would become an integral part of their premiership-winning team and be named Rookie of the Year. The league culture was train hard, play hard and then party hard. Alcohol, drugs, women - it was a slippery slope for a naïve teen looking to find his place. Too soon, the joy of winning a premiership gave way to an emptiness that not even footy could fix. Struggling, Sonny made a decision that for many was unforgivable. He walked out on the Bulldogs and flew to France. Scathing headlines, subpoenas and threatened lawsuits followed. But so too would come the realisation that he couldn't run from the man in the mirror. In this powerful, open and honest memoir, Sonny Bill shares the triumphs and missteps of his extraordinary sporting life and reveals how faith and family have made him the man he is today. Compelling and searingly honest, You Can't Stop the Sun from Shining is essential reading for any sports fan.
Between 1970 and 2010, an area just 45.55 square metres in size in the Eastern Cape produced an astonishing 22 boxing world champions and 50 national champions. That place was Mdantsane. Described as ‘The Mecca of Boxing in South Africa’, this single community has accounted for 33 per cent of South African boxing world champions since the 1920s. Driven by a lifelong fascination with the sport, in Boxers Die Alone Prof Njabulo S. Ndebele applies his intellectual and philosophical mind to this phenomenon – how it came about and whether it still applies today. He steps past the modern technology that allows us to stream fights in real time, choosing instead to delve deep into the origin story of a township that was constructed intentionally to provide Black labour to a white town. The historical roots of displacement and familiar struggles to find a way out of poverty make the Mdantsane boxing legends all the more extraordinary. Three champions across three generations are singled out for review – Nkosana ‘Happy Boy’ Mgxaji, Vuyani ‘The Beast’ Bungu and Nkosonathi ‘Mabhere’ Joyi. Prof Ndebele brings them vividly to life in a celebration of their triumphant successes against the odds of their circumstances. With sensitivity and insight, he meticulously unpicks the strands of their stories, including their inspiration and aspirations, training routines, the development of their unique boxing styles, their role model status for neighbourhood youngsters, and the vital yet often problematic relationships boxers have with their trainers and managers. While the facts and figures are illuminating in themselves, it is the intellectual beam that Prof Ndebele shines on Mdantsane and its boxing tradition that elevates Boxers Die Alone to much more than a book about boxing. It broadens the audience to readers interested in history, community and the making of greatness.
An intimate self-portrait encompassing the life, times, and career of one of the most transformative individuals--let alone athletes--of recent times. Journeying from a blue-collar childhood to shatter tennis's exclusive country-club culture, Billie Jean King paved the way for a more open, inclusive, and equal sports environment. In her memoir, she takes us behind the scenes of the pro tennis tour, through her five years as the top-ranked woman in the world, her twenty Wimbledon championships, her thirty-nine grand-slam titles, and her watershed defeat of Bobby Riggs in the famous "Battle of the Sexes." With her ever-present candour, King also describes the high personal price of public greatness. We see how she struggled to live authentically and the challenges she grappled with beneath the mask of fame, including entrenched sexism, an eating disorder and struggles with her sexual identity until her "outing" by a former lover led her to embrace her true self. We come to understand how, through it all, her unshakeable integrity, resilience, and sense of purpose allowed her time and again to overcome her obstacles, and, at a few dire moments, to rebound from near ruin. Hers is the story of a pathbreaking fighter for equality, world-class athlete, and an indomitable spirit.
A witty and entertaining look at the history, drama and oddities of football's greatest tournament - packed with facts, trivia and tales from the pitch and beyond. The World Cup: A Very Peculiar History tells the fascinating, funny and sometimes outrageous story of the world's most popular sporting event. From the tournament's founding and political controversies to heroic players, bizarre matches and unforgettable goals, this book explores how football became a truly global obsession. With lively writing, cartoon-style artwork and curious stats on everything from 'The Hand of God' to the dirtiest matches ever played, it's a perfect mix of history and humour for football fans young and old.
What would you put on the line for what you believe in? For Chris Bertish, the answer is everything. ALL IN! In 2017 Chris became the first person ever to stand-up paddleboard across any ocean. Defying all odds, he paddled 7500 kilometers solo, unassisted and unsupported, for 93 days across the Atlantic Ocean, from Morocco, Africa to Antigua in the Caribbean. During three months at sea he was targeted by a great white shark, towed by a giant sea squid, capsized multiple times and surfed down 10-meter waves as challenging as anything he had faced in any Mavericks Big Wave Surfing Championships. Too many times he found himself hanging on the edge of his modified SUP for dear life. He also become one with the elements, and ultimately succeeded in doing something everyone said was simply impossible. This is the story of his incredible journey.
Hiking Beyond Cape Town opens a gateway to the myriad trails and tracks that await hikers – young and old, novice and experienced – beyond the confines of the city. This collection of day trips outside of Cape Town features 40 trails, fanning out from the south coast to the west and covering a range of varied hikes in between. Ranging between 2 to 7 hours, the hikes are tailored for single-day trips, although a handful will require overnighting. Each hike entry includes an accurate, up-to-date route description, a map of the trail, and directions for getting to the start. In each case, an upfront summary outlines the distance, duration, grade of difficulty, and elevation of the hike, as well as other details. Striking colour photographs and observations about the plant and animal life along the route add lively interest. A brief introduction provides expert advice on gear, planning and preparation.
In late 2024 Ireland, with a population of just 7 million people, stood at the top of rugby union's world rankings. Ireland's rise to such an exalted position has been the great triumph of rugby's professional era. For a nation that fought tooth and nail to keep the game amateur, their progress since 2000 has been extraordinary. The trophies, once so rare in Irish rugby hands, have become almost commonplace. Six Nations Championships, Triple Crowns, Millennium Trophies have all stood in the IRFU offices in Dublin. But that is the top tier of the game. What is the health of the sport at other levels all around Ireland? In this book award-winning international rugby writer Peter Bills seeks to take the pulse of the game at every level - schools, clubs, provinces - as well as the fast-expanding women's game. For if rugby at grassroots level withers, the decline will affect everyone. And how can rugby learn to live side by side with the ubiquitous GAA? Featuring interviews with some legendary names of Irish rugby, such as Keith Wood, Willie John McBride, Tony Ward, Bill Mulcahy, Gordon D'Arcy, Trevor Ringland, Nigel Carr and Tommy Bowe, we also hear from men and women from junior and club rugby, at clubs like Dingle, Kinsale, Monkstown, Boyne, Westport, City of Derry, Donegal Town, Omagh and Oughterard. All of them are doing stirring work behind the scenes for their local clubs and communities as Bills goes in search of the soul of Irish rugby. |
You may like...
Deep Joy - Reflections on Life
Tom Finlay, Ursula Clidiere
Hardcover
Cross-Media Authentication and…
Anastasia Katsaounidou, Charalampos Dimoulas, …
Hardcover
R2,810
Discovery Miles 28 100
Transforming Scholarly Publishing With…
Darrell Wayne Gunter
Hardcover
R5,798
Discovery Miles 57 980
|