TuksSport High School sprinters to take on world’s best in Rio

The speedy performances by the Jamaicans and the Americans in the sprints indirectly led to two learners from the TuksSport High School qualifying for the Olympic Games in Rio.

Clarence Munyai (Grade 11 learner at TuksSport High School) and Gift Leotlela (Grade 12 learner TuksSport High School) will both compete in the 200 metres at the Games in Rio. Because both athletes are only 18 years old, they can claim to be among the youngest track athletes ever to represent South Africa at a Games. Reggie Walker was only 19 years and 128 days old when he won the 100 metres at the 1908 Olympic Games in London.

Munyai and Leotlela are not the only learners from the TuksSport High School who qualified to go to the Games. Linda Mothalo, a member of South African women’s soccer team, is also on her way to Rio. The fact that three learners from the same school will represent South Africa at the Games must certainly be a first.

Munyai and Leotlela’s success story started when Hennie Kriel (Tuks/HPC coach) watched for the umpteenth time how a race in the Diamond League was dominated by American and Jamaican sprinters.

“I said to myself there is no reason why the South African sprinters should not also be among the world’s best. I made a conscious decision to start working towards making sure that it does happen. It meant that I had to change my mind-set as a coach. Most importantly I had to convince myself that it was possible and then I had to install the same belief in my athletes. I believe in setting big goals and then work towards making it a reality,” said Kriel.

According to Kriel his athletes do not consider the Olympics to be merely a learning experience.

“I want them to be competitive. Their participation in the Games will be the first step in what will hopefully be brilliant international careers.”

Although Munyai, currently the SA senior and junior 200m champion, qualified for the 200 metres on three occasions, nothing could prepare him for what it felt like to become an Olympian.

“Words cannot properly describe what I felt the moment I saw my name appear on the television screen, confirming that I will be going to Rio.

“It was the first time ever that I got goose bumps due to something related to sport. I was so overwhelmed that I had to fight back my tears. This I promise, I will do my utmost to make South African proud,” said Munayi.

But first things first. According to Munayi, he will have to forget about the Olympic Games for the next ten days, because he will represent South Africa at the IAAF Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland next week.

“If I win a medal there, it will be mission accomplished.  Only then will I be able to focus on the Olympics.”

For Leotlela, the South African Junior 100 metre champion, things will be even more hectic.  He will compete in the 100 metres as well as the 200 metres in Poland. After the Olympic Games his ‘race’ will still not be over because he will then have to cope with the little matter of passing his matric exam at the end of the year.

According to Leotlela, his selection was pleasant surprise.

“I purposely tried not to think about the Olympics to much as I did not want to set myself up for a disappointment. But now I am the luckiest man. It is great to be able to call myself an Olympian. The challenge now is to make sure that I make my country proud .”

According to Hettie de Villiers, TuksSport High School principal, all of Leotlela’s teachers have already made plans to help him breeze through his exams.

She is adamant that good academic results are as important for the learners as excelling on the different sports fields.

“For me, personally, it is even more important to achieve good academic results. I always place much emphasis on the fact that any sports career, no matter how good the athlete is, can last only a few years.”