Ma
IN THE LEAD
Staying Proudly South African
Having dominated the Collegiate track and cross country circuits while studying in the USA and qualified for her first Olympics , Dominique Scott-Efurd is now looking forward to life as a professional athlete , and aiming for more outings in the Green and Gold of South Africa . – BY SEAN FALCONER
When Dominique won a full athletics scholarship in 2011 to go study marketing at the University of Arkansas in the USA , she left Cape Town as a young athlete with three junior SA titles on the track , a lot of raw potential , and a big dream of one day running for her country at the Olympics . However , she is the first to admit that she wasn ’ t sure if she would reach that level , but decided to give it everything and see how far she could go . “ I knew I couldn ’ t turn down the opportunity , even though I went there knowing I wasn ’ t the best athlete on the team – not even the best Freshman , for that matter .
But somehow Coach Lance Harter and I found what I initially lacked in strength and speed , and we were able to get the best out of me over five years ,” says Dominique .
That ’ s putting it mildly … Dom ended up winning five national NCAA collegiate titles and helped the Arkansas Razorbacks win their first ever indoor and outdoor national team titles , was awarded prestigious All American honours seven times , set multiple records along the way , and enjoyed superstar status on campus . That in turn was all a build-up to her making the final selection for Team SA for the Rio Olympics , where she ran a PB 31:51:47 in the women ’ s 10,000m to become the second-fastest South African woman of all time at that distance .
She says the Olympic race was insanely fast ,
nothing like what she had expected . “ My coach and my strength trainer , who ran at the Olympics himself , said it was likely going to be tactical , as the big races nearly always are at championships . So they said just be brave and hang in there till halfway , and then see what happens , but it was the total opposite . It was the fastest women ’ s 10,000m in history – within the first 200m we were already running single file , and I was on my PB pace right from the gun – and even though I got lapped a couple of times , it was still amazing to be part of it .”
In the past year , Dom also got married to college ‘ sweetheart ’ Cameron Efurd at the end of 2015 , and as soon as she graduated from College in mid-2016 , she signed a long-term sponsorship deal with adidas , so now the 24-year-old is focused on making her mark as a professional athlete . “ It really has just been like a dream come true . A lot of blood , sweat and tears went into those five years , but it was definitely worth it !” she says . “ Now I feel so blessed , because I know that only a few people get to become professional athletes , and I am also blessed to be with a company that takes care of me so well . I ’ m truly living my dream .”
Showing Fine Form
In late December , Dom and Cam visited SA for three weeks to visit her family in Cape Town , and in between family gettogethers , sightseeing and tanning – it was snowing back ‘ home ’ in Arkansas when they left – Dom made the most of the glorious summer weather to put in some serious training ahead of her indoor track season starting in January . She also put her fitness and speed to the test and managed to break the women ’ s course record at the Constantia parkrun , then shattered the women ’ s 15km course record at the NutriBullet Bay to Bay race , clocking 53:59 to take just under five minutes off the previous record !
She was often asked for autographs and pictures when she ventured out to running events , and for much of her time in SA she had journalists and photographers hovering nearby – a far cry from two years ago when she actively went looking for coverage in the South African press in order to remind ASA that she was still in the mix for selection for Rio . Of course , having been selected for Rio and worn the Green and Gold at senior level for the first time , but now being married to an American and living there , the question often comes up where she now
Images : Renée Scott & courtesy Dominique Scott-Efurd
12 ISSUE 91 FEBRUARY 2017 / www . modernathlete . co . za