The Ink Link – Kyle Schoonbee

The Ink Link is an ongoing project at CN&CO that showcases tattoos in the workplace. One of the great things about a tattoo is that it goes against the commonly-held viewpoint that “what you see is what you get”. There’s a misguided belief in certain quarters that in order to be a working professional, it is categorically *impossible* to have a tattoo… because how can someone with a tattoo be a professional? We are putting paid to that perception through the stories showcased in the Ink Link. If you or anyone you know would like to be featured, please get in contact with us.

Meet Kyle Schoonbee, one of South Africa’s top rowers. He is currently training with the RMB National Squad in preparation for Tokyo 2020/21 Olympics.

I met Kyle in 2016 when I started working at CN&CO managing RMB’s rowing sponsorship, he had just joined the RMB National Squad as one of the juniors. Fast forward 4 years, Kyle is now one of South Africa’s fastest and strongest rowers currently focussed on making the Olympic team.

Kyle, tell us about your tattoos.

I currently have two tattoos.

I got my first tattoo straight out of school, January 2014. It is an outline of the African continent on the right side of my rib cage. The reason I got this one was really out of pride of where I am from. Even if Africa isn’t perceived as being on the same level as first world places like Europe and the USA, I only ever enjoy these other places for a week, maybe two. The novelty of nice-to-have technology and all those bits runs short pretty quickly, I then find myself really missing being back in RSA because you just can’t compete with the atmosphere of everyday life here. Even if some of it is from bending the law a little. People enjoy life here more.

My second tattoo I got in October of 2016. It is a string of morse code running down the center of my spine. It translates to “Lions don’t look back when small dog’s bark”. It’s basically an African take on “Haters gonna hate”. I got it after my run with Brad Betts in the U23 heavyweight double. We were both outsiders to the system and it was a tough few months preparing for the world champs. But we worked insanely hard on our own, completely without the rest of the team. Our progress couldn’t really be measured so it was a mental game. But the result came round in the end where we came just shy of the podium with a 4th place in the A final. The tattoo doesn’t necessarily remind me when I see it, but it does display my approach towards achieving goals.

Do you have a preferred tattoo artist?

I got my tattoos done at two separate artists, one in Cape Town and the other in JHB. I based my decision purely on reviews. Not much loyalty there. But my cousin started up a studio a few years ago. I was sceptical at first but following her social media I really think she runs the best studio I have ever seen. I will go to her and no one else for future tattoos.

Have you started planning your next tattoo?

My next tattoo is kind of a placeholder, depending on the outcome of whether I go to the Tokyo Olympic games.
If I do, then 100% I will get my cousin to put the rings on me.