Sunette Viljoen (TuksAthletics), proved on Saturday at Pilditch with her throw of 61.64m there is no keeping a real champion down.

It was the first time she competed in a javelin competition since July last year. Understandably she is quite excited to be back on the field doing what she loves most. That is launching a javelin to the best of her ability, seeing it soaring high and far.

For the last two years, Viljoen has been plagued by injuries. In 2017 she missed competing at the World Championships due to a back injury. Last year her campaign started off promising when she won a bronze medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games but unfortunately before the inaugural World Cup in London she was again sidelined with an injury.

A lesser athlete might have decided enough is enough and Viljoen would have just reason to quit. At 35 years of age, the Tuks athlete can genuinely claim to have been there, done that and got the T-shirt to prove it.

She won a silver at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and silver and bronze at the respective 2011 and 2015 World Championships. She has also won four medals at the Commonwealth Games. Her best throw of 69.35m places her sixth on the IAAF ranking-list.

However, she makes it clear that she still has some unfinished business on the field.

“I would love to win gold at the Olympic Games as well as having a real goal at Barbora Spotakova (Czech Republic)’s world record of 72.28 metres,” explained the Tuks athlete who certainly does not lack in motivation.

“I will never get tired of javelin throwing. Every morning when I wake up, I only got one goal, and that is to be better than I was yesterday. That hunger to succeed still burns in my heart as strong as the first day I started to compete. I want to be a champion.

“To start my season with a throw of 61.64m is exciting. I can feel that the hard work I have done during the second part of last year is starting to pay dividends. I know as I get more competition fit and my technique sharpens up I will be able to throw further.”

Being in a constant quest to find those extra valuable centimetres with each throw is not Viljoen’s only passion. Nowadays she is also an avid cricket supporter. She has even got a favourite team she supports. No, it is not the Proteas. It is Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool’s under-14 cricket team and with good reason. Her son, Henre, is playing for them.

Viljoen used to be quite a good cricketer herself representing South Africa between 2000 and 2002. That included being in action during the 2000 World Cup in New Zealand.