“Running taught me valuable lessons. In cross-country competition, training counted more than intrinsic ability, and I could compensate for a lack of natural aptitude with diligence and discipline. I applied this in everything I did.”

South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist. He served as president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, becoming the country’s first black head of state and the first chosen in a fully representative democratic election. His presidency focused on dismantling apartheid’s legacy, confronting institutionalised racism, and encouraging racial reconciliation. He was also an African nationalist and socialist, and served as president of the African National Congress from 1991 to 1997. In South Africa, he is widely respected and is often called Madiba, his Xhosa clan name, as well as the Father of the Nation.