The action on the track has really hotted up in Cape Town in recent months , thanks in part to the efforts and attitude of two young guns of running . Ashley Smith posted the third-fastest time over 5000m in SA in 2017 with a blistering 13:55 personal best , while Anthony ‘ Timmy ’ Timoteus started this year with a sub-30-minute 10,000m on a windy day in the Mother City . Sometimes running against each other , sometimes helping each other push for faster times , these two young athletes bring a healthy friendship and rivalry to the track , to go with their incredibly positive outlooks .Bring the fire When he was younger , Ashley wanted to be a soccer player , so he enrolled at the Western Cape School of Sport , but says the coaches didn ’ t see any footballing talent in him . “ They told me the soccer teams were full , so I tried out for running instead . I have no regrets about that now .” That saw him competing in distances from 1500m to 5000m as well as the steeplechase , and says , “ I had a successful high school career , making the provincial teams every year , and that ’ s where I met Timmy and many of the other guys who are currently making their mark on the Cape running scene .”
His performances led to the offer of a scholarship to study at California Baptist University in the USA . “ It was an amazing chance , and I ’ m glad I took it , but after one semester I knew that it was not for me . I decided to come back and rather focus on building a career and a life here , where my heart is . I felt I need to be an example and give back to my community , by showing them that even though life is not easy , success will come if you are prepared to put in the work . Before I left for America , people saw me running around Mitchells Plain and thought I was a bit nuts . Now they see me differently , and have become more supportive , and even cheer me on .”
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Coached by Duane Fortuin , Ashley is aiming to qualify for some European races this year , and with the backing of Endurocad and mentors like Nolene Conrad and Elana Meyer , he says he is not putting limits on his dreams . “ I am making a lot of sacrifices to reach my goals . I ’ ve always been very involved in the Cape Minstrel culture , which is an important part of who I am , but athletics has a limited lifespan and I need to put everything into it now . I take running personally , and the losses hit me hard , but also motivate me . Like American running legend , Steve Prefontaine , I am committed to pace , and there is a fast group of young guys in Cape Town now , so I believe that if we bring the fire , then the running world will burn .”
Trust the process Bellville South is a hard place to grow up , and many kids from this area grow up without much hope of an escape to a better future . In contrast , Timmy always saw sport as his ticket out , and not just for himself , but his family as well . “ It was never easy , but I kept going , because I knew this is the path that is right for me ,” he says .
“ My first coach , Elton Esterhuizen , believed in me , after a lot of nagging on my part for him to become my coach , and he allowed me to express myself as a 13-year-old . I won all my cross-country and track races that year , and then I was offered a scholarship from two high schools , but I chose Bellville South High . I wanted to make a difference within my community , to inspire others and show them that nothing was impossible . You need to work hard to be rewarded , and I even ran from my house in Bellville South to UWC for training . People thought I was crazy , but I was just a kid working toward his dream .”
Timmy has had to overcome some hurdles along the way , notably when he was 17 . “ I made my first WP team that year , but it was also the year that my father
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passed away . I felt like all my dreams were coming to an end , but I was blessed with a second father figure and a new coach , Glenn Bentley . He kept me on the right path , and with his help and guidance , I am now a fourth-year student at UWC , something I never thought possible , and this year has started well .”
“ I broke 30 minutes in the 10,000m at Green Point , with Ashley ’ s help , and I have been selected to go to Switzerland with the SA University Team later this year . Trust the process is my motto , because I have faced setbacks , but I always remember that your current situation is not your destination . This talent that I have been blessed with won ’ t be realised if I am not willing to work hard and sacrifice for it .”
Ashley and Timmy , friends and rivals
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Images : Roger Sedres / ImageSA |