Driven by disability
“No one thinks about the people that don't get a shot at something. No one thinks about the ones that wake up before the sun rises to work twice hard to achieve their dreams. No one thinks about those who work hard without any glory promised at the end of the road.
“But the road is not always gloomy. There is light at the end of the tunnel,” said Cobie Bok, a one armed rugby player, graphic designer and photography enthusiast.
Bok's story is an inspiring story of greatness. At a young age he had to learn to stand up for himself, having to fend off bullies and was always picked last from the bench, just because he had a missing limb. The 24-year-old Bok was born without the left arm, but this has not dampened his love for rugby despite his disability.
Born in a sleepy little village called Schlip near Rehoboth, Bok grew up sharing a small backyard room and later a caravan with his parents and four other siblings. A life he describes as difficult.
Most of the things he owned were passed on to him by his siblings. He started playing football to escape the hardship, but his strategy was short-lived, because of constant bullying from school mates at Michelle McLean in Windhoek. “I think the children didn't understand that I was a human being just like them, so I didn't feel like taking part in anything anymore, because I was always being stared at or called names,” Bok said.
He said when he was in high school at David Bezuidenhout, it was mandatory to take part in sport and he couldn't escape taking part in sport activities anymore. “Even though I didn't want to go through bullying again, I joined the athletics club and it turned out that I was a talented athlete. With encouragement I continued to run and the medals started coming in.”
In 2015, a coach scouted and trained him and he continued winning medals in the sport codes he participated in. Bok said there was too much sport politics in athletics so he stopped running and decided to play rugby. “I was selected to play for the under-15 team in the ATKV tournament, but because of my age I couldn't play for the team anymore and so I joined guys who played rugby on Sundays. “With encouragement from my peers, I joined the Suburbs Rugby team in 2016. There weren't a lot of opportunities for me, so I moved to Unam where I was drafted in the third team. Needless to say the rest is history.”
The coaching staff at Unam groomed him to become the player that he is today.
He says playing in the team did not come on a silver platter, since he had to work twice as hard to make it onto the team. Bok said his disability has however inspired him to succeed and some of his manoeuvres catch opponents' off-guard. “It hasn't discouraged me at all. I treat it as a challenge. I put the ball under my right arm and fend off players with my left and then I'm gone.”
But he also gives credit to his older brother Bently Bok who constantly pushed him and refused to go easy on him when they played together. “He taught me how to drive a car and how to swim because he wants me to do everything for myself.”
Bok encourages other disabled people, saying that talent is God-given, “It doesn't matter who you are, you should always push yourself and find ways to do a particular thing. If you are disabled don't despair, work on your talent.”
On the field, other players do not give him any special favours. “I get taken out a lot, but I'm used to it now. It makes me a better player. I am trying to do things that I enjoy and that are challenging. I don't want people to make assumptions that I can't run or work, just because I don't have an arm. I don't consider myself disabled.”
Love for design and photography
Bok has his hands in many pies. Not only does he excel at rugby, but he pursues a career in graphic design and wants to study for a degree in photojournalism in future. “In high school I enjoyed drawing. My best friend taught me the basics, then I went for training in desktop publishing at the Institute of Information Technology for a year. After completing my studies, I did private work for clients and worked for my church.”
He says that his best friend's mother got him a job where he worked for nine months. “I had to leave the place, because there was no prospect of being permanently employed. However, I'm grateful for the opportunity because I was building my portfolio. Later, I was offered a job at Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) as a junior editorial graphic designer. A job I enjoy.
“I want to become a photojournalist one day. Part time I take pictures and some of them have been published in the newspaper”. He says he is confident that he can achieve a lot if he works hard. “I know that I can play professional rugby one day for the National Sevens. Whoever wishes to assist me make my dream come true is welcome,” Bok said.
Limba Mupetami
“But the road is not always gloomy. There is light at the end of the tunnel,” said Cobie Bok, a one armed rugby player, graphic designer and photography enthusiast.
Bok's story is an inspiring story of greatness. At a young age he had to learn to stand up for himself, having to fend off bullies and was always picked last from the bench, just because he had a missing limb. The 24-year-old Bok was born without the left arm, but this has not dampened his love for rugby despite his disability.
Born in a sleepy little village called Schlip near Rehoboth, Bok grew up sharing a small backyard room and later a caravan with his parents and four other siblings. A life he describes as difficult.
Most of the things he owned were passed on to him by his siblings. He started playing football to escape the hardship, but his strategy was short-lived, because of constant bullying from school mates at Michelle McLean in Windhoek. “I think the children didn't understand that I was a human being just like them, so I didn't feel like taking part in anything anymore, because I was always being stared at or called names,” Bok said.
He said when he was in high school at David Bezuidenhout, it was mandatory to take part in sport and he couldn't escape taking part in sport activities anymore. “Even though I didn't want to go through bullying again, I joined the athletics club and it turned out that I was a talented athlete. With encouragement I continued to run and the medals started coming in.”
In 2015, a coach scouted and trained him and he continued winning medals in the sport codes he participated in. Bok said there was too much sport politics in athletics so he stopped running and decided to play rugby. “I was selected to play for the under-15 team in the ATKV tournament, but because of my age I couldn't play for the team anymore and so I joined guys who played rugby on Sundays. “With encouragement from my peers, I joined the Suburbs Rugby team in 2016. There weren't a lot of opportunities for me, so I moved to Unam where I was drafted in the third team. Needless to say the rest is history.”
The coaching staff at Unam groomed him to become the player that he is today.
He says playing in the team did not come on a silver platter, since he had to work twice as hard to make it onto the team. Bok said his disability has however inspired him to succeed and some of his manoeuvres catch opponents' off-guard. “It hasn't discouraged me at all. I treat it as a challenge. I put the ball under my right arm and fend off players with my left and then I'm gone.”
But he also gives credit to his older brother Bently Bok who constantly pushed him and refused to go easy on him when they played together. “He taught me how to drive a car and how to swim because he wants me to do everything for myself.”
Bok encourages other disabled people, saying that talent is God-given, “It doesn't matter who you are, you should always push yourself and find ways to do a particular thing. If you are disabled don't despair, work on your talent.”
On the field, other players do not give him any special favours. “I get taken out a lot, but I'm used to it now. It makes me a better player. I am trying to do things that I enjoy and that are challenging. I don't want people to make assumptions that I can't run or work, just because I don't have an arm. I don't consider myself disabled.”
Love for design and photography
Bok has his hands in many pies. Not only does he excel at rugby, but he pursues a career in graphic design and wants to study for a degree in photojournalism in future. “In high school I enjoyed drawing. My best friend taught me the basics, then I went for training in desktop publishing at the Institute of Information Technology for a year. After completing my studies, I did private work for clients and worked for my church.”
He says that his best friend's mother got him a job where he worked for nine months. “I had to leave the place, because there was no prospect of being permanently employed. However, I'm grateful for the opportunity because I was building my portfolio. Later, I was offered a job at Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) as a junior editorial graphic designer. A job I enjoy.
“I want to become a photojournalist one day. Part time I take pictures and some of them have been published in the newspaper”. He says he is confident that he can achieve a lot if he works hard. “I know that I can play professional rugby one day for the National Sevens. Whoever wishes to assist me make my dream come true is welcome,” Bok said.
Limba Mupetami
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