Durban - BLISTERING speed was an innate trait of multi-talented sportswoman Beverley Peters.
Peters pulling away from the opposition in sprint events on the athletics tracks, during her schooldays, was a familiar sight.
The memorable moment in focus is when Peters powered her way to victory during a 100m dash in a “Natal Championship” athletics meeting at Curries Fountain, Durban, in the 1980s.
Over the years, Peters won multiple Natal and national colours from the old South African Senior Sports Association.
“Curries Fountain holds fond memories for me. It is where I had my greatest successes as an athlete.
“I was the record-holder for the 100m, 200m and long jump events. The venue was the best athletics track at the time for non-racial sport. South Africa has come a long way since,” reflected Peters, a former resident of Westcliff, Chatsworth.
She said sport for her was, like for many others, an avenue to channel energy in a productive way.
“Success in sport represented talent that was supported by discipline, effort and passion. The time is reminiscent of sacrifices made by not just our parents but by dedicated teachers and coaches who guided us for the pure joy of seeing us excel and not for any other rewards,” she said.
Peters was also outstanding at volleyball and achieved great success in the indoor version of the game.
Having landed multiple provincial caps, which began in her schooldays, Peters was a fixture with the South African team. She had the honour of leading the country’s charge at two All Africa Games and an African Nations Cup during the 1990s, when South Africa had re-entered the international sporting ranks.
She also excelled at beach volleyball and had a stab at a few international competitions in the 1990s.Peters said her best achievement as a sportswoman was achieved in beach volleyball.
In 1997 she was named as the “Ola Queen of the Beach” at a competition held in Durban, which drew the country’s best beach volleyball players.
Peters, a former teacher at Chatsworth High and now a biokineticist, said: “Participation in sport has shaped my life to a great extent in a way that has left me believing that passion and love for what you do is integral to a happy life.
“I’d like to think that amid other values, these two values are inherently me.”