Piggy-backing through life

FIT: ENTREPRENEUR, DRIVEN BY PASSION AND PURPOSE, PUSHES BOUNDARIES WITHOUT FEAR

- Hein Kaiser

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.

"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."

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.

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