WALK THIS WAY walk this way by ZELDA BOTHA
Images : Courtesy Zelda Botha , Wayne Snyman
I
am sitting peeling an orange as I am typing this article . Peeling layer for layer of a pretty stubborn peel , to get to the juicy inside of a fresh , healthy orange . Why am I telling you about my orange ? Because to me , this orange represents the hard and difficult times us as athletes can have . Just like the skin of an orange , we need to peel away and overcome the hardships … like a hard training session , a cold winter ’ s morning training , a blistering session in the African heat , or an unexpected injury … in order to get to the juicy , sweet inside of the orange .
In my case , it ’ s a serious injury , followed by post-operation recovery , that has dominated my life these past months . Let ’ s just say that seven months ago , what had been ‘ easy ’ now seemed ‘ impossible ,’ getting up hopeful was as hard as it looked , and smiling in a crowd was almost unbearable . However , looking back now , I am in awe of what I proved capable of , and shocked that it all went by in seemingly just the blink of on an eye .
Strange as it may sound , I could actually go back and experience it all again . Believe me , I never thought I would say that , but it now seems to me that those “ uneasy ” days , the ones that found me muddled up in bed , is what I remember the least . It ’ s not how difficult it was that I want to experience again , but rather how strong it made me , in that exact moment . The hard days made the good ones better , and the good days made me seek for the great ones . It made me hungry for more .
In Wayne ’ s World
Getting back to peeling oranges , it made me think about my good friend and training partner , Olympic racewalker Wayne Snyman , who started racewalking before I even knew it was a professional sport . And that ’ s saying a lot , since I started racewalking at the age of 12 . Just like my stubborn orange peel , Wayne had had many challenges to overcome , including those bittersweet moments , in his journey as racewalker .
He had to compete against the odds due to South African walkers never getting proper sponsorship or financial backing . He had to race against athletes that were not racing clean 99 % of the time , and he had to build a life as a fulltime
Racewalkers & Oranges
Why is it that when we want something more than anything in life , it seems like it never comes easy ? This is the story of a bittersweet life , and a legacy of overcoming hardships .
working athlete for most of his career . Also , being a husband and a father were just more of his incredible skills he added to the basket . But what I think of most days , is how he never went down without a fight . And at age 36 , he is using all those years of dedication , hard work , triumphs and defeats , to give him the strength for ‘ one last rodeo ’ before hanging up his racing shoes .
In his final two years of racewalking , he has placed top three in 95 % of his international races , and he placed in the top 20 at the Tokyo Olympics , even after COVID made it the most challenging year of his career . He also placed seventh 7th at the World Racewalking Cup , won the SA Champs title yet again , broke the 35km SA Record , and walked away from the recent 2022 African Champs in Mauritius with more than just a tan , add another silver medal to his collection . In coming weeks Wayne will also be competing in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the UK and the World Championships in the US .
Inspirational Legacy
If ever there was a juicy inside of an orange , it would be Wayne Snyman . His motto in life is that consistency and hard work are the keys to life , and his career in racewalking has shown that when challenges seem hard to overcome , you just need to keep walking . So thank you , Wayne , for showing me that I had seven months of hardship to with my injury , but you ’ ve survived a lifetime of hardship and still tasted the good life .
Thank you , also , for showing me that racewalking can be an elite sport , and that even if we seem like the odd ones out – “ those guys that walk funny ” – that we , too , can overcome hardship and make the endings happy . And thank you for giving me a legacy that I can look up to , and providing me with endless laughter during training camps . May us younger racewalkers accept the challenge to live up to that legacy , as we salute you , friend , for an outstanding career .
Last but not least , thank you for showing me that you need to have a thick skin in order to ripen and preserve the sweet fruit within . Like an orange .
About the Author
Zelda Botha ( née Schultz ) won the 2019 SA 20km Road Race Walking title and the 2021 SA Track & Field Champs title , and she represented SA at the 2018 African Champs in Nigeria . She balances training and competing in racewalking with a full-time job as ar surgical sales representative , and being married to top obstacle racer Armin Botha .
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