The national 100m-hurdles record holder,  Rikenette Steenkamp (Tuks), has already made South African sports history without having run a single stride at the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

Next week she is going to become the first South African to compete in the 100m-hurdles at a World Championship. Mere statistics, however, will never cut it for her.

For Steenkamp, it is always about seizing the moment and with good reason. The Tuks athlete is, without a doubt, one of South Africa's most talented athletes. Unfortunately, her body can't keep up with her talent. The net result is that she spends more hours doing rehabilitation exercises than she competes. This season she had already to make three comebacks after being injured. 

No setback, however, seems to diminish her passion for trying to be the best she can. 

"In this 'game' you got to make the most of every opportunity. 100m-hurdles is one of the most unpredictable events. Anything can happen at any moment. It is what motivates me. I believe the atmosphere in Doha getting to run in front of thousands of passionate spectators is going to inspire me to run fast times. I know I am capable of dipping under 13 seconds," said Steenkamp who last year set a new national record running 12.81s.

Adding it will be unfair if she does not back herself at the World Championship.

Judging by the results of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the 2017 World Championship in London Steenkamp has a realistic chance of qualifying for the semifinals and maybe even of competing in the final.

In 2016 a time of 12.98s was good enough to go through to the semifinal and 12.82s to the final. The bronze medal was won running 12.88s. In London, in 2017 the slowest athlete qualified for the semifinals with a time of 13.12s, and for the final, it was 12.86s. Steenkamp's best time for the season is 13.01s.

Steenkamp admits that she will have to be at her best in Doha. 

"The standard of the 100m-hurdles is at an absolute high this season. You got Jamaica's Danielle Williams who has already clocked a time of 12.32s and another 31 athletes who have dipped under 12.80s. In my last race, the first four athletes were separated by a mere 0.04s."

Steenkamp agrees that 100m-hurdles is one of the toughest events in women's athletics. 

"It is a race of absolute precision. The challenge is that there are ten hurdles between you and the finish line, and there is no margin for error. That mere moment you lose focus and touch a hurdle could be it, race over. But then again, that is what I love about hurdling”, explains the 26-year-old Steenkamp who will be competing at the World Championships for the very first time.

The Tuks athlete will be in action in the 100m-hurdles heats on 5 October at the World Championships.