TRACK & FIELD
“ I would like to coach athletics someday and stay in the sport , but for now the focus in on my own athletics career .”
Facing Challenges
It seems appropriate that hurdling has proven to be Marioné ’ s strength , given that she has faced challenges from a young age . Her parents divorced when she was still young , and she was raised by her grandparents in Vanderbijlpark , with her grandmother standing in as the mother-figure in her life . Marioné began running in primary school , initially taking part in the sprints , but then in Grade four she began hurdling as well . “ I wanted to try something different and found the hurdles very compelling ,” she says .
Her natural talent was soon spotted by a local coach , who invited her to join his training squad and coached her to her first SA Schools Champs meet in Grade five , where she finished second in her age category . “ I competed in the SA Schools Champs from Grade five to Grade 12 , and from Grade seven onwards I also went to the SA Youth and SA Junior Champs . I finished second or third in most of my races in those years , and in 2019 I was fourth at SA Schools , but second at SA Juniors .”
In 2020 Marioné was unable to compete due to the COVID pandemic , which allowed her to focus on her matric schoolwork at Hoërskool Driehoek , and she collected an academic award to go with all the sporting awards earned during her school years . Having matriculated , she began studying Sport Science at the University of Pretoria , after turning down a full bursary to go study and compete in the USA . “ I decided that I wanted to stay in South Africa , and I plan to go into biokinetics once I finish my studies . I would like to coach athletics someday and stay in the sport , but for now the focus in on my own athletics career ,” she says .
Chasing Goals
Looking ahead , Marioné says she has set herself both short-term and long-term goals in her running career and her studies . “ Obviously , short term is the World Junior Championships , but to also continue working on my technique , and also to focus on my studies . Long term , I want to become an Olympian and be an expert in sports science . In terms of my hurdling technique , with the help of my coach , we have put everything into perfecting everything needed to be the best , and it is my main event that I want to focus on , with the Paris Olympics in 2024 my main goal . Another big stepping stone to get to Paris will be the World Student Champs , once they are back on the calendar .”
“ I have been fortunate to have great support from various people that have helped me get this far . My grandparents , my boyfriend Tristan and his family , who have taken really good care of me in Pretoria , and my coach ,” adds Marioné . “ I am also so grateful for the assistance of the Nedbank Running Club and the clubs sponsors who have provided me with so much assistance and always make sure I have everything I need . Now it is up to me to see how far I can go , but one of the most important things I have learnt is that you must have discipline , otherwise you can ’ t succeed . And I want to succeed in everything I do .”
Marione in Action
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO of Marioné in action in Italy in July , running a 13.85 and finishing second , in spite of hitting two hurdles . As she says , hurdling is all about getting your technique right , and she is still working on that in order to reach her maximum potential , with the goal of reaching the 2024 Olympics as her biggest incentive .
Taking a whole second off her time was already a big breakthrough , but much more was to come for Marioné in this golden season .
Ready to race in Italy in July
These news articles were supplied by The Department of Sport ( TuksSport ) at the University of Pretoria . Tuks is home to some of the best sporting opportunities in the world , with more than 30 sport clubs . To find out more , go to www . up . ac . za / tukssport .
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