The Old Diocesan Issue 12 - Magazine - Page 53
ROBERT GRAY
Prof Tim Noakes didn’t just talk
the talk, he ran the run. Here he
is pictured in Constantia in 2016.
RUNNING PHOTOGRAPH PER-ANDERS PETTERSSON/GALLO IMAGES
THE INQUIRING SCIENTIST
Professor Timothy Noakes (1966W)
was a prefect in White House, earned
half-colours for cricket and was
a Command Sergeant-Major in the
Signals division of the Cadet Corps.
After school, he studied medicine
at UCT, later earning his MD and
DSc degrees. He was awarded a full
Blue for rowing, representing the
South African Universities Eight
for two years.
Over the course of an
extraordinary career, Prof Noakes,
as he’s widely known, has published
more than 600 scientific papers;
he is the world’s most-cited living
sports scientist and the third mostcited South African medical scientist.
In 2006, the highly influential North
American publication Runner’s World
included him as one of the “40 Most
Influential People and Moments of
the Past 4 Decades” in the sport
of running. One of only four nonAmericans on the list, he was chosen
for his authorship of The Lore of
Running, considered the bible of the
sport, and for describing the cause,
cure and prevention of exerciseinduced hyponatraemia – a novel,
potentially fatal medical condition
Tim with his medal outside the
Memorial Chapel in 2025. Besides
publishing 600+ scientific papers,
he is also a prolific author of books.
These include his seminal The Lore
of Running (1985), his autobiography
Challenging Beliefs (2011) and The
Real Meal Revolution (2013) – one
of the best-selling non-fiction titles
in South African publishing history.
in endurance athletes caused by
voluntary over-drinking.
For the final 15 years of his
career, Tim held an A1 rating from
South Africa’s National Research
Foundation (NRF), the highest
recognition of scientific excellence.
In 2012, he received the NRF’s
Lifetime Achievement Award.
He has also been honoured by
the South African government with
the Order of Mapungubwe (Silver).
Beyond the laboratory, Tim has
advised South Africa’s leading
national teams and worked with
extreme swimmer Lewis Pugh
on groundbreaking polar swims.
With former Springbok captain
Morné du Plessis, he was co-founder
of the Sports Science Institute of
South Africa, which has helped shape
modern sports medicine and wellness
culture since 1994. He also played
a key role in advancing rugby safety
research, contributing to programmes
that dramatically reduced serious
spinal injuries in the game. Closer
to Bishops, he still serves as a vicepresident of the ODU.
Guided by an insatiable curiosity
and an inquiring mind, Prof Noakes
has spent a lifetime challenging
accepted wisdom and advancing
knowledge in ways that have
improved – and in many cases
saved – countless lives.
Adapted from the formal Robert
Gray medallist citation.
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 49
