DR MIKE PRETORIUS
Dr Mike Pretorius was
born on the 14th of June 1971 in Salsbury, Harare. He started his karate when he was 6 years old
in Zimbabwe and he trained for 6 months before they moved to South Africa.
In grade 8 he
formally started (1984) with Sensei Danie Ludick from Shukukai. He became Shukukai SA champ and at Nidan he
moved to Bloemfontein to qualify as a surgeon.
He qualified as a
surgeon in 2002 and worked at 3 hospitals, Universitas, Rosepark and 3 Military
Hospital. Unfortunately, he was
diagnosed with MS in 1997. His health
deteriorated and for three years he operated from his wheelchair.
In 2010 he was forced
to stop working due to his hands not functioning properly. He is very involved with Mikael, his son’s
karate. Mikael is currently an orange
belt at Shotokan Karate Academy, Bloemfontein.
He always sits in the
doorway and watches Mikael enjoy his classes.
When Mikael graded to yellow and orange belt, his father
handed him his original belts that he wore many years ago.
One of his wishes is
to see his son compete at the Olympics or World Champs.
"Never have I
seen a parent with so many challenges and still make a huge effort to attend
every function. He has become such a huge part of our everyday classes at
Shotokan Karate Academy and is always willing to help our Club." - Quentin Rourke
