Turning an athlete's focus onto business

15 January 2017 - 02:00 By Margaret Harris
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Before and after a long day in the office, Mari Rabie works for a clothing company she helped found, runs and cycles, and studies to become an actuary.
Before and after a long day in the office, Mari Rabie works for a clothing company she helped found, runs and cycles, and studies to become an actuary.
Image: CASEY CRAFFORD

Retired Olympic triathlete Mari Rabie — she came 11th at the Rio Games last year — now works at an investment holding company and is the co-founder of clothing brand Movepretty. She tells Margaret Harris that hard work trumps talent

What does your role as co-founder of Movepretty involve?

I am a non-executive boss-lady and Annelize Kotze, my co-founder, is the executive boss-lady. She had to run the ship alone last year, as I was training 30 to 35 hours a week and mostly abroad.

Now that I'm more settled after the Olympics, I work on Movepretty early in the morning, late at night and at the weekend.

I need to stay busy and I am task driven; idle happiness eludes me and I would rather work towards building something at the weekend than sip cocktails at the pool (although there is a time and place for that too).

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Annelize is very good with the details and I help with the general direction and, of course, sample checking every garment. We are committed to the idea that every Movepretty garment must be functional, not just look good.

How has retiring from sport changed your daily routine?

Where my life was dominated by training, recovering, massage, physiotherapy, seeing the chiropractor, etcetera, and working a little in between, there has been a complete shift. I now work predominantly and training fits in around work if I feel like it or have the time.

Sport has dominated my life for the past two decades and it is now time to focus on different things. I had the best year of my athletic career last year, so I feel it is a good time to walk away from high-level professional sport and see if I can be successful in another arena.

What has being an athlete taught you?

I have learnt how to deal with failure as well as the need for commitment and the willingness to work harder and vasbyt. Sport teaches you to be persistent - that helps in a working career.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

A doctor - like my dad. Later I wanted to follow Olympic athletes like Elana Meyer after watching her win silver at the 1992 Olympics.

What does your typical workday involve?

Wake up at 5am, work on Movepretty from 5am to 6am - where I check e-mails, revert to Annelize on important decisions, look at the finances, stock levels and bank feeds. I train between 6am and 7.30am. I enjoy running.

block_quotes_start Having your own business is probably the most challenging career one can attempt, but it is also the most rewarding block_quotes_end

Then from 8am to 5pm I have a normal office day at an investment holding company. Between 5pm and 7pm, I ride my bike (I am riding the Cape Epic this year) or go for another run. I spend my evenings studying for my actuarial exams and working on Movepretty.

What was your first paying job and what lessons did you take from it?

I worked for an insurance company and learnt that if you were willing to struggle with a problem long enough, chances were that you would figure it out.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

Every day there is a new challenge - it is like figuring out a puzzle.

We are pioneers in the "athleisure wear" arena, so have had to figure out our own business model, structures, systems, solutions to problems, strategy and vision without any assistance from investors or a board with years of experience in the field.

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Having your own business is probably the most challenging career one can attempt, but it is also the most rewarding. We knew this when we started out, and decided it was like doing an MBA on the job and that we would only come out of it stronger and better for it.

Textbooks are full of lessons, but it is only by going through real-life challenges that you learn and gain experience.

What part of your job would you prefer not to do?

Nothing really - I love the diversity of the challenges I'm given in each of my roles, and how they make me grow as a person. I honestly can't think of one thing I really dislike about my work.

What characteristics do you think you need to have to become successful?

My willpower, focus, tenacity, resilience, analytical mind, pragmatic personality and a touch of humour. It's important to always land on your feet, get up and show up for the next opportunity. Doors close for a reason, and there is always a way out if you decide to make things work.

Also, hard work trumps talent, so no matter who you are or what your circumstances, if you really want something in life, you can achieve it.

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