A true inspiration

EARLY Monday morning, Wayde van Niekerk became the first South African sprinter in 96 years to win an Olympic gold medal, streaking home in the 400m final in a new world record time of 43.03 seconds.

He bettered American great Michael Johnson’s 1999 mark of 43.18 seconds by 0.15 seconds and Bevil Rudd’s winning time (for 440 yards) in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920 by more than six seconds.

Olympic finals are seldom won from an outside lane and it was little wonder then that Johnson, a member of the BBC’s Rio commentary team, shouted out: “Oh my God! From lane eight, a world record. He took it out so quick. I have never seen anything from 200 to 400 like that.”

The last time a sporting triumph sparked as much united joy across South Africa was when Francois Pienaar’s Springboks won the Rugby World Cup on home turf in 1995.

Van Niekerk’s victory has offered young South Africans five key lessons: Dream about achievement; Believe it can be done; Focus on what needs to be done; Set goals; Work hard at them. And never give up. Our youth need inspiration.

Over the past 22 years, South Africa has been on a roller-coaster road. The reconciliation Nelson Mandela dreamed of, and into which he invested so much of his energy, is spluttering along at a snail’s pace.

And Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s rainbow nation has lost a lot of its colour. Yet, ever so often, something happens that proves to us that we have far more things in common that can draw us together than that which keeps us apart.

Victory in the Rugby World Cup was one such example. Van Niekerk’s triumph has become another.

There is so much about him, and so much that he does, that makes us think aloud. If only someone in our family or our community could build family or social relationships the way he does… If only more stars could be as modest in the face of wonderful success.

Van Niekerk has given thousands of South African youngsters something to aspire to. We sincerely hope many of them will use his success as their inspiration.