For the TuksSport High School learners, it is never only about having big match temperament and being sports-wise skilled to perfection excelling in their academics is equally essential to them. 

Therefore it is no surprise that the matric class of 2019 achieved a 100% pass rate. In the history of the school, there was only one year in which the matrics failed to do so. 

The school's principal, Hettie de Villiers, never tires emphasizing that any sports career, no matter how good the athlete is, can last only a few years. 

She added that in sport, there are never any guarantees. Any career can end at any time due to an injury.

"Then what?  That is why any athlete needs to have a good academic qualification to fall back on," De Villiers explained. 

The teachers at TuksSport High School agree with her viewpoint. That is why they are prepared to go the proverbial extra mile to help learners. 

When speaking to some of the matriculants, they are all grateful for the support they received. According to them, it made it possible to compete internationally for long periods without falling behind in their schoolwork. 

James Freeman, who is one of Botswana's rising swimming stars, obtained three distinctions making him one of TuksSport High School's top matriculants. 

He admits to having had to keep his wits about him making sure he made the most of every minute of every day. Most days, he trains for up to four hours then he still had to find the time and energy to study. Funnily enough, Freeman relished the challenge. 

"Somehow, last year turned out to be my best as a student."

It was also an excellent year for him as a swimmer. Freeman made Botswana sports history by becoming his country first swimmer to officially qualify to represent his country at the Olympics. In the past swimmers from Botswana only got to compete at the Games through invitation. 

The TuksSport High School swimmer set an Olympic B-qualifier time in the 400m-freestyle swimming 8 minutes and 53 seconds. He is hoping to also do so in the 800m-freestyle. His best time of 8:09 is mere hundredths of a second slower than the B-qualifying standard. 

Freeman hopes he gets the opportunity to compete at the Tokyo Games, but he is also realistic. 

"The decision of whether I get to compete is out of my hands. It will be a great learning experience if I get to go to get a feel of what the Games is about.  My real focus is the 2024 Olympic Games."

Christin Mundell is another who seemed equally motivated to excel as a student and as a swimmer. She earned two distinctions. During the African Games in Rabat, Mundell won three silver medals (50m-, 100m- and 200m-breaststroke). She was also part of the 4x200m-relay team that won gold. 

TuksSport High School's head boy, Sammy Ngoveni, also acquitted himself well during the matric exams. When not studying, he was challenging the stopwatch in the sprints. His current best time over 100 metres is 10.50s, and in the 200 metres, it is 21.70s. A definite highlight for him was winning gold at the South African Junior Championships in the 4x100m-relay.