SOKWAKHANA ZAZINI ( Boys ’ 400m Hurdles Gold )
PJ ’ s
PIECE
Sokwakhana Zazini introduced himself to world athletics when he set a new World Best for u / 18 400m hurdles in March this year , clocking 48.84 seconds . Since then , he has been simply untouchable . Given South Africa ’ s rich history in the single lap hurdles , added to his scintillating World Best , Soks went into the World Champs with high expectations on his shoulders , but none of that seemed to phase him in the slightest .
He cruised home in 49.27 to clinch the World Title , finishing a massive three seconds clear of the next athlete home ! “ Yes , I dominated the race , and that was great , but people will be wrong to think it came easy . I ’ ve been preparing really hard since last year , and going through the pain barrier was hectic ,” he says about his gold medal performance .
Added to his 48.84 World Best , the Eastern Cape-born sprinter also boasts a 46.20 for 400m , making him one of world athletics ’ rising stars . He attends the Tuks Sport High School in Pretoria and trains alongside experienced Olympic hurdlers LJ van Zyl and Wenda Nel , so no surprise that the soft-spoken World Champion is already looking ahead to making it on the senior stage : “ My shortterm goal is to win the IAAF World u / 20 Championship title next year , and my long-term goal is to make the SA senior team in 2019 , in the hopes of getting experience to take me to the top .”
ZENEY VAN DER WALT ( Girls ’ 400m Hurdles Gold )
R
unning develops character . The tough , painful parts of it make us stronger runners , and stronger people , in general . So I find it strange that athletics , and running in particular , are such sidelined sports in the current school system .
Individual achievements seem to be frowned upon by the powers that be and a conformist mindset is all the rage at the moment . What little freedom kids used to have for expressing themselves through sheer grit and determination has been taken away from them .
Team pursuits like soccer , rugby and cricket are the top sporting codes in our country , and “ taking one for the team ” seems to be the golden mantra . Individuality is not just frowned upon , but also coached out of the kids . Talk is only about a shared vision and a common goal . What candy floss nonsense is this ? As Rocky said , “ Life isn ’ t all sunshine and rainbows .”
No , friends , we need to teach kids that life is hard , and often unyielding . They need to step forward , take the blows and roll with the punches if they want to achieve something . Nobody should think that life is going to be easy , because quite frankly , it isn ’ t .
Ahead of the girls ’ 400m hurdles final , many pundits were sure that the pre-race favourite , Jamaica ’ s Sanique Walker , would take the title , but that just took all the pressure off Zeney , the Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool grade 11 scholar from Pretoria . “ I was just focused on the plans coach Maritza Coetzee and I had made , and I knew I have a strong finish , so I remained 100 % focused . I knew this would be the last race of an amazing season , and I knew I was 100 % prepared ,” she says .
Entering the home straight , Sanique had a five-metre gap over second-placed Zeney , but the South African says , “ At the 300m mark , I saw I was second and that ’ s when I gave my best and ran my heart out .” When the Jamaican hit the last hurdle and stumbled , the South African was perfectly placed to grab the win in 58.24 , out-dipping the Jamaican by a mere three-hundredths of a second for one of the biggest upsets of the championships . “ After the race we had to wait to see the photo finish and as it turned out , it was gold for South Africa !” says an elated Zeney .
Images : iStock & PJ Moses
We do our kids a disservice by not letting them pursue individual goals . Kids need to learn that they are strong enough to do amazing things on their own . They are tough enough to take all that is thrown their way and come out swinging in the next round . And running teaches you to dig deep . To keep moving forward when you don ’ t want to , and to finish what you start , no matter how long it takes . First or last place doesn ’ t matter , being brave and going the distance does .
Let your kids fall . Let them fail . Be there to cheer them back to their feet . Be there to motivate them to try again . You will raise a better human . You will build a legacy of hope and faith within them that they can carry forward into adulthood . Let them find themselves through lungs gasping for air and muscles burning from the strain . Let them find the joy of living . Leave a legacy by letting them run .
About the Author :
PJ is a former Cape Flats gangster who took up running when he turned his back on that dangerous lifestyle , in order to set a better example for his two young sons , instead of becoming just another crime statistic .
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