Tuks rowing coach Tato Mokoena is leading his team in the RMB University Regatta on the Kowie River, aiming for a tenth consecutive title while emphasizing cultural development, growth, and self-control rather than the results themselves.
Like all ambitious athletes, Tato Mokoena acknowledges the importance of victories but believes they are not the primary priority. Ahead of the RMB University Regatta on the Kowie River this weekend to defend their title, the coach resists the temptation to focus solely on statistics.
Mokoena has already experienced the feeling of victory, participating in four consecutive Tuks wins since starting as a coach in 2022. He is well aware of the expectations associated with leading such a high-level team, as well as the risk of being consumed by the fear of losing what has been achieved.
He shares his philosophy, which reflects his approach to training: 'When you win a title, sometimes you start worrying too much about how to lose it, instead of just continuing to do what you do best.' Instead of encouraging athletes to overthink opponents or the prospect of a historic tenth title, he urges them to concentrate on what they can control: themselves, their team, and the execution of the race.
Mokoena explains: 'There are so many things we need to focus on as individuals and as a team. We have enough internal pressure and standard that we must maintain internally, instead of chasing external pressure, chasing the result.'
For him, the right answer lies in striving to become 'the best version of ourselves,' rather than trying to create something unnatural for the sake of winning.
This approach will be tested on the Kowie River this weekend. Tuks arrive as a team everyone wants to beat; their nine-year reign means there will be many teams eager to end their dominance. However, Mokoena is unwilling to let opponents dictate how his athletes approach the race.
'Everyone wants to be a winner,' he states. The Kowie River itself also serves as a reason for caution, as tides, wind, turns, and race trajectories can affect the outcome, making precise forecasting difficult.
Instead, Tuks will focus on moving forward as far as possible before assessing the race one-on-one. This method is based not only on experience but also on the desire to build something greater than just a collection of wins.
The 37-year-old coach does not spend much time counting his own titles. His goal is to form a culture that can exist even after individual coaches and athletes leave. 'We try to understand a culture that can last forever, not count,' he replies to the question of how it feels to hold so many titles.
This sense of legacy is personal. Mokoena's journey into coaching was influenced by the late former coach and close friend. He saw this coach's passion for the university and wishes to continue that spirit.
For Mokoena, success means creating something that people outside Tuks want to be a part of, and that those within the club want to continue developing. His own journey in rowing makes this philosophy particularly meaningful.
He did not plan to become a rowing coach. In school, he attended 'Joppe Boys' on a cricket scholarship. A serious leg injury later led to major surgery and forced him to seek other activities. A history and geography teacher advised him to try rowing, as did his math teacher. His orthopedist also recommended it as a beneficial exercise for the legs. Initially, Mokoena didn't understand what it was like: 'I thought: 'What the hell is this rowing?'', he recalls with a laugh. Then he went to camp, and, as they say, 'the bug bit him.'
He never looked back. Mokoena eventually rowed at the University of Johannesburg and then moved into coaching. He wanted to participate in the Olympics himself, but lack of facilities made that dream unattainable. Coaching offered him another path to the highest level. 'The best next option was to try coaching at that level and see if I could pass on my knowledge to other athletes so they could realize their full potential,' he says.
Today, he is the head coach of the U-23 national team, as well as part of the Tuks team, and his Olympic ambitions have not disappeared. He hopes that by coaching athletes like Catherine Williams and Courtney Westley, he can make it to the Games.
The recent World Championships in Amsterdam were another step in this journey. It was Mokoena's first senior competition, and also Courtney's first senior competition. The results did not meet expectations, but Mokoena refuses to gloss over this experience. 'A lot was learned. Probably a lot can be improved in preparation beforehand. But we accept the results and the chance to learn from them, instead of looking for excuses.'
This willingness to learn is at the core of his coaching philosophy. It also explains why he does not view returning from the senior World Championships to the university regatta as a step backward. For him, the RMB University Regatta represents something valuable: an opportunity to remember why athletes fell in love with rowing. 'I don't think we ever look down on people.'
Instead, he sees the race as a chance for experienced international athletes and student rowers to learn from each other.
For novice rowers, spending time in the same boat with athletes who competed at the highest level can be transformative. Mokoena has seen students arrive at Tuks, not necessarily standing out in school, but then gaining greater self-belief after training alongside elite rowers. 'It's a kind of mentorship, but indirect,' he says. It is the development of people, not just the accumulation of medals, that Mokoena describes as the most rewarding part of coaching.
'You see them trying to do something as complex as rowing. And when you simplify it for them and allow them to understand the hard work, to understand what true confidence and self-belief look like, you see a spark in their eyes.' For him, this moment can be more important than a medal. 'What they see and understand about their worth is more than any medal or any type of result.'
This belief in the transformative power of rowing also connects Mokoena's personal story to the broader development of the sport. He recalls times when participation at the highest level seemed almost impossible for young South African rowers without substantial financial support. 'Rowing, unfortunately, is quite an expensive pursuit. It is an expensive sport.'
This is why he considers the RMB involvement in the sport significant. He points to improved facilities and greater support for athletes and coaches, as well as the opportunity for young rowers to dream of becoming national or even Olympic athletes without the financial burden falling entirely on their families.
For someone whose own Olympic aspirations were limited by lack of facilities, this change is particularly significant. Mokoena views the RMB University Regatta as part of a broader journey that can help ensure the next generation does not consider elite rowing something 'unattainable.' Nevertheless, the immediate task this weekend is much simpler. Tuks are fighting for a tenth consecutive title, and their rivals want to end the dynasty. The Kowie River will present its own challenges. However, Mokoena is not interested in history becoming a burden. His message to the team is essentially the same as what shaped his coaching career: focus on what you can control, learn from every experience, and keep moving toward your potential. Medals may follow, but for Mokoena, they are not the final goal. True victory is watching athletes discover their capabilities and helping to build the Tuks rowing culture that can endure long after the race ends this weekend.
