The world of fashion design is far removed from badminton, but Johanita Scholtz is comfortable in both. During the crests and troughs of her Olympic qualifying campaign, it was designing outfits that helped the world No.103 deal with the pressures of the Race to Paris.

She also designs clothes to help with fund-raising for a children’s organisation, and so she’s now representing more than just her individual self or her country when she takes the court in Paris 2024.

“I’m definitely an inspiration to a lot of kids, knowing that I’m a normal person who has studied fashion design… I’m an ordinary person doing more than what you can dream of, and I’m happy to give that message to kids, knowing that if you work for something you can reach it,” Scholtz says.

The dream, as it were, was ignited when she was a little girl in Namibia, watching the Olympics on television and wanting to be the player on the screen. It’s surreal, she says, to think that she’s now the person she aspired to be all those years ago.

“I remember when I was a little girl standing in front of the television just watching badminton and thinking one day I want to be there, but you don’t actually think you’re going to go. So now just to know and think, wow, I’m actually going, it makes it surreal for me knowing that that little girl dreamed but the older version actually qualified. So it’s amazing.”

The journey to the Olympics actually started when she relocated from Namibia to South Africa to train with coach Johan Kleingeld when she was 13 – “he stuck with me for 10 years, and pushed me and drilled me and then reaching it together – not just me, but him with me – I think it meant much more”.

Having fallen short for Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, things finally began to fall in place over the last year. A title at the Benin International was followed by a number of quarterfinal appearances, and she finished strong with a semifinal at the All Africa Individual Championships followed by gold at the African Games.

The South African made the cut to Paris as the second-highest ranked player from the continent, but it had been a close call. Locked in a dead heat with Fadilah Shamika Mohamed Rafi of Uganda, Scholtz ran into Rafi in the semifinals of the African Games in March, and her straight games win helped her pull ahead of her opponent. The next day was memorable, as she overcame a 12-19 deficit to beat Husina Kobugade and defend her African Games gold.

“The gold was definitely the goal, but that wasn’t the big thing that made me emotional and happy – it was knowing that after that tournament I kind of secured a spot in Paris,” says Scholtz. “So that was the most stressful tournament knowing that if you win you qualify, if you lose you don’t. But it was one of the best tournaments I’ve played, because I had a comeback, I was down 12-19 and still won.”

Like any long-drawn qualifying campaign, this one too had challenges – funding, pressure, and so on – but thanks to her passion in design, Scholtz could switch her focus to her creative side and tune out of the stress of life on court. Even while on Tour, she would work on her outfits.

“It definitely helped relieve pressure, because your mind and focus are taken away from qualification and you know you have a different priority. I think it was easy to switch from one to the next. It fulfilled both emotions, because when you do something and you’re proud of something, you feel great. I do wedding dresses or prom dresses for girls. I’ve made suits for men, swimming costumes… I can do anything.

“People were supportive, knowing that the Olympics were my first priority. They gave me space to work and train and travel. So whenever I came back they gave me a deadline.

“Most people just give me an idea or inspiration picture and I had to draw a model. I measure them, draw patterns, I cut the fabric, I sew, I do everything on my own. A few things I could do on tour. At a few tournaments I took the wedding dresses with me and I sewed beadings on the dress… stuff like that.”

Her work with the children’s organisation Badisa involves designing outfits that they can sell to support development and education needs.

“They are a social work organisation, they help kids all around the province. They asked me if I was able to design a fashion line for kids, so everything they sell goes straight to development and education. To be part of an organisation like that is incredible, and I just love it. My in-laws are (also) involved with kids. I’ve got a big heart in helping. The organisation I’m working with gets funding for kids to go to schools or get skills. Knowing you’re helping is satisfying.”