Author George April
Photo’s supply.
Devan van Wyk (17y) a pupil at the ELSEN West Coast School, Saldanha Bay, is the son of Danville and Elizna van Wyk from Clanwilliam.
Devan, who is also a 400-meter track athlete, believes with hard work, he can realize his dream of one day running at the Olympics.
The athlete’s athletics career already caught fire in Grade 1 at Elizabethfontein Primary School in Betjiesfontein, a small community outside Clanwilliam. According to Devan, who is also a riel dancer, was he a learner at the school in question until grade 6.
Grit path our running track
We did not have an athletics track at our Primary School, but just practiced and ran on the main road, which is also a grit road. “And we also had to keep an eye on the vehicles, which also used the road.”
“Your feet obviously got very sore from the stones, however, I got used to the rocky road, I later started feeling like a 4 by 4 who made the stones splash. and I really liked it, running on the gravel road.” “The nicest for me was, hearing people stood by the road and scream at us,” Devan said.
From grade 7 I continued my school career at the ELSEN West Coast school in Saldanha Bay “.” At school, I started to take first places on the athletics track in almost all numbers. ” In 2018 I qualified for the ASA Championships in Potchefstroom.
“I took 2nd place, and I was really very proud of myself.”
Collapsed at final
“Because I’m also a riel dancer, the annual competition usually starts around September”. “Our team reached the final competition in Paarl in November 2018”.
“It was during this riel competition final at the Taal Monument, that I just collapsed”. “The setback also kept me out of athletics the following year.”
“In 2020, however, I was intentionally back on the athletics track, concentrating mostly on the 400-meter race.” “I took first place at the provincial athletics race at the Dal Josafat sports grounds in Paarl.” “With this victory, I again qualify for the Athletics South Africa competition in Potch.” However, it is shut down due to the Coronavirus.
Wayne van Niekerk is my role model, and he broke the world record at the outdoor Olympics. “This is my track in which I prefer to run,” Devan said.
Thank his supporters
“It is my dream to finish on the same track at the Olympics.
“I also want to thank everyone who has supported me so far in staying on course,” the athlete concluded.
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