When Tsholofelo “Tsholo” Peeters woke up in ICU after collapsing just kilometres from the finish line of the 2025 Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, the moment could have been remembered only as heartbreak. Instead, it became the beginning of a deeper calling.
Today, the Soweto-born seasoned product manager, wife, mother of three boys, corporate professional and entrepreneur has been crowned Mrs Grand South Africa 2026 – and she is using the title not as a symbol of status, but as a platform for healing, movement and mental wellness.
Peeters, who holds a BTech in Information System and Technology, and a Computer Engineering, has spent nearly two decades building a successful career in telecommunications and banking. Yet her story is equally rooted in service. Through Activ8SA, the wellness and community initiative she founded, she uses fitness, running and sport to help individuals and communities improve their physical health, confidence, mental wellbeing and quality of life.
Her own relationship with movement is deeply personal. Fitness and running became tools of resilience, helping her find healing and strength. After the trauma of collapsing during Two Oceans, Peeters returned a year later to complete the race and earn the medal that had once slipped away.
That comeback now sits at the heart of her mission.
Peeters is especially passionate about youth empowerment through sport, including work with basketball development programmes in Alexandra. She believes sport gives young people discipline, mentorship, confidence and access to opportunities such as bursaries, sponsorships and educational support.
Her advocacy also extends to women and girls. Through Mrs Soweto and the Mr & Mrs Alexandra pageant, she has facilitated wellness sessions, mentorship and personal development programmes focused on confidence, leadership and holistic wellbeing.
As she prepares to represent South Africa at Mrs Grand International in August, Peeters carries one message: movement can heal, empower and transform lives.
SUPPLIED.
