Mr South Africa launches new book

UCT alumnus, sports scientist and reigning Mr South Africa, Dr Habib Noorbhai, has published his first book, Heart, a guide to inspire people to live empowered, socially conscious lives. The book will be launched on 27 November.

Heart, which Noorbhai describes as a memoir, looks at the roots of his life and examines his philosophy of humanitarianism through living and loving smart, enjoying a balanced life and knowing one’s purpose in life.

In the synopsis, he writes: “From birth to death, we are all provided with the same platform to evoke a sustainable and innovative difference in the lives of others, but each and every one of us has a different path or journey.

“There are many factors that contribute towards a person’s uniqueness and individuality: the environment, your upbringing and the root. We all have a root within us. The stronger it is, the stronger it will grow. We can grow in maturity, success, value, personal development or within a community.”

Three-part harmony

The book has three parts, each building thematically on the structure of the heart. Heart tackles the inferior vena cava, or root of his life, the superior vena cava, which he describes as “the meat” of his career, and the aorta, which looks at how he plans to find fulfilment by “leading from the heart”.

“My root is different in life. It showcases the important lessons that I have learnt, together with the fundamental experiences gained as well as the challenges and hard yards that I have faced.”

He says, “This is a not an autobiography. Rather, it’s a foundation of what more is to come.”

The book’s title has been drawn from his Mr South Africa campaign, when he was also crowned Mr Heart, a reflection of the numerous charity works and community empowerment initiatives he conducted as a contestant.

“During my reign as Mr South Africa I have embarked on a campaign called 365 Days of Heart, where I conduct charity work, social campaigns, outreach or social media posts to inspire and provide aspiration to the youth and society.”

Heart features #365heart themes as footnotes and headers on each page. He hopes the book, designed also as a practical guide, will encourage people to make a difference in the lives of others.

Noorbhai graduated with a PhD from UCT’s Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine in July this year. His research into the backlift technique in cricket – an essential component of a sound batting technique – underpinned the design of a revolutionary training bat for budding cricket stars and other lovers of the game.

His PhD was supervised by Emeritus Professor Tim Noakes, who also wrote the foreword. The book is available from Amazon, Kindle and Noorbhai’s website.

The launch event is being held at the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront on Monday, 27 November, from 17:30 to 19:30.

Book tickets for the event...