Lunike Mona had grown bored of rugby, cricket and athletics by the time he clocked in for his first day of high school at Selborne College in East London.
The teen was ready for a new challenge and it came in the form of rowing after his Grade 8 teacher Murray Chandler enthusiastically spoke about the sport.
“I went up to him after class to ask what it was all about. He told me to come and see him after school. That’s when it started,” Mona explained.
Seven years on, the Fort Hare BSc agriculture and economics student is an Africa Beach Sprints medallist after coxing the South African quads to a second place in Egypt on debut last November.
No wonder, because the 20-year-old’s leadership qualities speak for themselves. He is vice-captain of Selborne Rowing, captain of UFH Rowing and secretary of the Eastern Cape Rowing Association.
Mona’s journey to green and gold differed from the norm.
In flat-water rowing a cox is usually selected from a champion team but the coastal discipline requires the incumbent to sprint 60m to the boat alongside his crew.
Fort Hare Rowing captain and cox Lunike Mona made an unforgettable debut for South Africa in Egypt. Photo: Full Stop Communications
This means training hard and submitting times over the distance to the national panel for scrutiny.
As a cox who gives direction to the team’s efforts out on the water, he needs to be on top of his game at all times.
Team SA began their campaign in Al Alamein with a series of time-trials. While they did not show their best form, they did enough to set up a semifinal clash against the host nation.
However, they went through to the final against Tunisia when Egypt were defaulted.
“We lost the final, but how we raced was awesome. We were neck-and-neck with Tunisia who have been doing this for years,” Mona said.
“It was just phenomenal. Coming second in my first coastal sprints for South Africa was incredible. I didn’t think this would ever happen.”
His Fort Hare teammate Alvin Rukuni was also present, but on the other side of the boundary rope. The Zimbabwean was making his second consecutive appearance for his nation.
Mona is one of four rowers stationed at the university’s Alice campus. Every weekend, they pool petrol money to make the roundtrip to East London and back to train.
It is this camaraderie and sacrifices that bound them together.
“There is a lot of hunger,” the Fort Hare rower, who will coach Selborne’s U14s this year, said.
Internationally, Mona has his sights on the 2026 Commonwealth Games and 2028 Olympics. And he may have to concentrate all his efforts on coastal rowing as its flat-water cousin has been excluded from the Los Angeles programme.
Rowing SA also no longer enters coxed fours in major competitions.
It will no doubt be a tough decision to make. But, until then, Mona will focus his energy on Fort Hare’s Buffalo Regatta (February) and USSA campaigns (later this year).