GLOVED-UP GOGOS

These Alexandra grannies are punching their way to better health - and having a ball doing it! 

- MELON RADEBE

HE blows rain down on punching bags as sweat pours down faces and laughter and chatter fills the air.

A boxing gym isn’t where you often see people having fun – pummelling bags and opponents is usually serious business. But this is no ordinary group of boxers: this bunch is made up of 20 older women working up a sweat at the GogoBox class at Sandton’s Slow Poison Boxing Gym.

And the aim of the game is to have a good time while improving their health and fitness.

These gogos from Alexandra in Johannesburg are led by the gym’s owner, retired boxer Mbulelo Transvaal (42), and instructor Lubabalo Mooi (42).

The GogoBox class is the brainchild of goGOGOgo, a non-profit organisation that empowers older women in Alexandra and other communities.

Its founder, Jane Simmonds (55), met Mbulelo seven years ago when she started training with him and the pair got talking about how they could improve the lives of the elderly.

“Mbulelo suggested we look at boxing for gogos, based on the work I was doing with gogos and mkhulus [grandfathers] at the Itlhokomeleng old-age home in Alexandra,” Jane says. 

The women in the class are all associated with the home which offers skills, meals and outreach programmes for the elderly. 

“It was aimed at giving back, to give the gogos something for themselves. They dedicate so much time to raising grandchildren and they need to be celebrated and recognised for their role in keeping families and communities together,” Jane says.