The South African 100m champion Tebogo Mamathu's moment to "shine" is going to happen tomorrow afternoon when she races the heats at the IAAF World Championship in Doha.
The Tuks sprinter admits being nervous as well as excited.
"Running is what I know. I have been doing it since I was six years old. Athletics has helped form who I am, helped to build my character. It forced me to deal with setbacks and made me dream. To be able to compete at the World Championship is the pinnacle of all of this."
So far, 2019 has been the year in which Mamathu seems to fulfil all her goals. She won her first South African senior title. In June during the 40th ResisprintMeeting in La Chaux, Switzerland she at long last got to run her breakthrough race, clocking 11.04s, which ranks her as one of the 14 fastest female sprinters in the world.
"Mindboggling" is how the Tuks sprinter describes it.
"For years, I have been pushing, been patient while a little voice in the back of my mind kept asking when is it going to be my time. Now it has happened. I ran a time I have only been dreaming about. What I did not realise is with what responsibility it comes. There can be no more ever resting on one's laurels."
Quite often South African athletes resort to claiming their only goal at a World Championship is to gain experience. Mamathu compares it to admitting defeat.
"You have to set yourself goals. Mine is to the best I can be. When I leave Doha, I don't want to have any regrets. There are never any guarantees. I can run my perfect race and still not make it through to the next round."
According to Mamathu, what made a real difference this season is being 100% fit.
"In the past, it was a case of just when I felt like I am getting into to shape I got injured. Mostly it was hamstring injuries that set me back. That is a big handicap because it means after you had recovered, you got to start the process of regaining your fitness and speed all over."
Prove of the Tuks sprinter’s indomitable spirit is that over the last four years she is one of few athletes to have managed to keep on getting faster. In 2015 she ran 11.88s; 2016 11.44s; 2017 11.34s; 2018 11.27s and now 11.04s.
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