Hard work and hustle define Thea Botha’s incredible journey

It’s almost as if nothing can stop Thea Botha in her tracks. She doesn’t take life in her stride either. Instead, she’s the master of her own fate and there doesn’t seem to be a morsel of fear in her being.

It’s inspiring just to listen to her life’s adventure. Tough, gentle, kind and an iron will, rolled into one – all this, while not being afraid to be vulnerable.

Her father, probably the biggest influence in her life, taught her not to be afraid; to fall down and get right back into the saddle.

Entrepreneur at heart

“I’m an entrepreneur at heart,” she said.

These days, she combines it with her fitness business and competing in hyrox, an extreme endurance course akin to Ironman.

“I go to that dark place to see how far I can push myself,” she said. “If you can be strong in that space, then life outside is easy. I want to be ready, mentally and physically, for whatever’s coming.”

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So far, the 36-year-old’s been in control of how her life manifests.

“I started farming when I was 14,” she said. “It wasn’t something I planned. A pig wandered into our yard in Springs and my dad said we should keep it. That Saturday, we went to an auction and bought it two friends.”

Babe, Popeye and Bobby were the names of the first three pigs.

Pig farming business

What began as a backyard pet hobby quickly became a business.

“By the time I finished school, I had about 80 pigs,” she said. She didn’t have cages or fancy equipment either. “I used old truck tyres and built temporary shelters for them. I used to take them to auctions on weekends.”

Eventually she constructed a brick-and-mortar home for her growing conference of pigs.

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“I had 600 pigs at one stage, with only two workers,” she said.

Running a piggery was physically brutal work. “I mixed feed, carried 50kg bags, pushed 300kg pigs onto trucks. That was my gym. Every single day.” She eventually gave it up a few years.

At the farm, she slaughtered the animals herself, stocking the butchery she owned at the same time. “I couldn’t do it anymore,” she said. “That’s why I eventually gave it up. I love animals and it didn’t feel right anymore.”

Workout every single time

When she was a teen and not wrangling pigs, she also helped her father deliver sacks of maize to farmers. At the time, she’d load up a one-ton bakkie with 25kg bags of the grain and offload it herself. “It was a workout every single time,” she said.

When Botha wasn’t delivered maize or tending to her drift of swine, she spent a lot of time on the road with her father. “He always said, don’t be afraid to fall. Just make sure you get back up,” she said.

That philosophy became her rule of thumb in business and in sport.

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He never sugar-coated life, she said. He believed in facing it head-on, no matter how hard the knocks. “He taught me that you can’t control everything, but you can control how you respond. That’s where your power lies.”

Even after his death in 2018, she has not strayed from this belief.

“I still hear his voice when things get tough. It’s what keeps me going now.”

Turning point for Botha after father’s death

It was also a turning point in her life. When her father died, she had to find something to help her work through the pain of loss.

“I started cycling,” she said. “Did races like the 94.7. Just to clear my mind. Then I discovered CrossFit and it changed everything.”

CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness training method that combines functional movements from weightlifting, cardio and gymnastics to build strength, endurance, and overall conditioning.

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“When you train like that, you can’t think about anything else. Not work, not stress, not grief. Your mind is forced to be present,” she said.

“It became my escape. Instead of going to a bar to drink away the pain, I went to the gym.”

Over time, it turned into passion and purpose. “I told myself, I wish people could see what I’m made of. How strong-minded I am. It’s not just about muscle; it’s about mental strength,” she said.

Fitness business

“I started training at the Urban Shack gym in 2019. Now I own it,” she said.

“I do the programming, train members and train myself for two hours a day.

“It’s a full-time thing.”

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She recently gave up her trucking business and a liquor store, too, to focus on the fitness endeavour.

Then Botha started competing in Hyrox. Now she is raising funds to compete internationally and has been putting together events and even a Back a Buddy account to realise and fund the next step in her ideals.

“When I get overseas, I will compete and use some of the spare time to learn more about pig farming,” she said. “I still want to go back to it, but this time, purely as a breeder.”

Botha isn’t just physically strong, but has emotional endurance and resilience. “You can’t grow in your comfort zone,” she said.