THE FUSE

From record-breaking swimmer to global sports leader, Kirsty Coventry continues to use her voice with intention, turning a major sporting moment into a reminder of shared humanity.

Global (09 February 2026) – We love it when icons use their platforms to share love. And we love it even more when those icons are one of our own.

Kirsty Coventry is no stranger to history. She is Zimbabwe’s most decorated Olympian, a former world-class swimmer, a global sports leader and a woman who has consistently used her platform to stand for more than just personal achievement. For South (ern) Africans, she also feels like one of our own. Her journey has always been intertwined with us, and South Africans have celebrated her victories, her leadership and her unwavering belief in the power of sport to unite people across borders.

As the Winter Olympics kicked off this weekend, while the world’s attention was fixed on ice, speed, and spectacle, Kirsty chose to spotlight something far deeper. Taking to Instagram, she shared a message rooted in African philosophy, reminding millions that progress is never achieved alone.

“In Africa, where I’m from, we have a word: ubuntu. It means: I am because we are. That we can only rise by lifting others. That our strength comes from caring for each other. No matter where you come from, we all know this spirit – it lives and breathes in every community.”

The comments have been turned off on the post but it has already had almost 7,000 likes. And we were one of them. The world can feel divided sometimes but we know (especially in South Africa) that we are “Stronger Together”… thanks Bokke. There is something so powerful in collective humanity. And Kirsty decided to use her platform to remind us that behind every athlete stands a village of coaches, families, teammates, supporters and communities. And more importantly, that the same principle applies far beyond sport.

We featured Kirsty last year when she made Olympic history by officially becoming the first African and first woman to lead the International Olympic Committee. We were all celebrating. And so, today, we are celebrating (again), but this time, for the way she uses social media.

I am because we are.

Ubuntu is not a slogan, not to us anyway. It is a way of seeing each other. It is the belief that kindness is not weakness, that community is strength and that none of us truly rises alone.

We are stronger together.

South Africans may not find the Winter Olympics on their usual TV channels this year, but that doesn’t mean the Games are out of reach. With our athletes representing the country on the world stage, there is still a way to watch every icy, high-stakes moment as it happens. Get all the information here.

Sources: Kirsty Coventry Instagram

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