Are you a social butterfly with a love for sport? Then maybe volleyball is the sport for you.
It is undoubtedly why the fifth-year Tuks medical student Danilo von Ludwiger took up the sport. He has never regretted it.
“Volleyball is a sport where social interaction and physical competitiveness come together. On the court, things can get aggressive yet remain super controlled. It is because volleyball people have a good mindset about life. So there is always a good vibe.”
Von Ludwiger is not only playing to have fun. He and Leo Williams are men on a mission. They hope to qualify for next year’s Paris Olympic Games. The Tuks student realises the odds are stacked against them, but it will not stop them. He is going to go all out to make a dream become reality. Even if it means he has got to spend money, he does not have.
In June, he and Williams competed in three Futures Beach Volleyball Tournaments in Europe. Part of the prerequisite to qualifying for the Games is to play 12 international tournaments. Their biggest challenge will be to win the African Continental Cup Tournament. They are one of the foremost combinations in Africa.
Getting enough time to train together is tricky as Williams based himself in the Czech Republic. It is about an 18-hour flight to the Czech Republic. Von Ludwiger does not see it to be an insurmountable obstacle. He is confident that they can make it work.
The Tuks student still remembers his roots. That is why he made sure he was back in time to play for Tuks at the USSA Indoor Volleyball Tournament. The Tuks men’s team won bronze in Polokwane.
“Playing my part to help Tuks win a medal in the indoor tournament has been my dream for the past five years. It is fantastic to, at long last, have achieved it.
“What was remarkable is that we got to beat TUT in the quarterfinals. For the past three years, they have always got the better of us. But this time, we turned got to turn the tables on them. In the semis, we lost to VUT. They went on to win the tournament.”
Asked as to what he considers to be his best attribute as a player, Von Ludwiger said, “Things tend to get heated during a game. I love it when it happens. I am more focused and more energetic. It is a case of controlling my emotions and using the game’s fire to my benefit.”
Von Ludwiger and Erwin Erwin Güther are the current USSA Beach Volleyball Champions. They hope to defend the title at the end of the year.
It was Von Ludwiger’s uncle who got him interested in volleyball.
“He was coaching volleyball. He scouted me during a ‘family meeting’. Apart from a passion for the game and an understanding of the game, the most important thing my uncle taught me was that volleyball can never be more important than family and living life to its fullest.
“That is why I am glad I have decided to study to become a doctor. When I stop playing, I have something to fall back on. Over the last five years, I have learned that time management is of cardinal importance. If not for that, I would not have been able to abide by my life motto of working hard and playing even harder. I can’t imagine a life without socialising.”
