Weightlifter Anneke Spies details challenges at All Africa Games

Spies made it to the podium having finished runners-up in her category, which is even more impressive considering the adversities.

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She reflected on her stint at the continental competition this month. 

''We are finally back in South Africa. It feels good, we missed home. 

''It was actually not a bad comp in terms of the competition day itself, we knew Ghana would be Ghana but we can't complain, at the end of the day we had beds to stay in and food to eat,'' said Spies.

Spies, who is from Mossel Bay, says there was a lack of facilities and other essentials.

''I had to make plans to get extra food, and had to make extra plans to get a place to train and went to a local gym and used their training equipment,'' added Spies.

She had also travelled with her partner and fellow weightlifter Ruben Burger, and the medal haul for their sport overshadowed everything else.

''So at the end of the day, we are very grateful to be back. We came back with 10 medals in total, for a sport that SASCOC didn't want to take - we came back with quite a lot of medals and the federation is proud,'' she concluded.

The performance put out by weightlifting is then likely to go a long way in nudging the powers that be – at least that’s what Spies hopes they would have also achieved during the All Africa Games.