Sergio goes the distance

Never give up, urges former SA sprinter

FROM the South African track and field team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing to the massage therapist of the Pakistan cricket team, “journeyman” Sergio Mullins has travelled a long way to be where he is today.

The Tafelsig-born sportsman, who married long-time girlfriend Tasquana last month, began his athletics career in 1996, where he won provincial and masters titles in the 100m and 200m sprint events.

He took part in 14 consecutive Athletics SA (ASA) Senior Championships.

Mullins, who has his International Therapy Council in Sport Massage and Sport and Health Club Management qualification, was part of SA athletics teams in the Southern Region Championships and African Senior Championships in 2007 and 2008.

However, his breakthrough came three months after the African Championships, where he was part of the SA 4x100m relay squad that jetted off to the Olympic Games in China.

Although he did not compete, Mullins said he enjoyed the atmosphere.

“If you don’t make it then you don’t, but you should never give up on your goals. Just to compete at any level is something special,” said Mullins, who won the 100m sprint title in four different regions including: Western Province, Boland, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

In 2010, Mullins moved to Port Elizabeth where he worked with coach Magda Botha and doors opened for him a few years later.

“While working at the Eastern Province Athletics offices as an office manager, Charlene Paddock popped in looking for a coach for her son and I offered,” said Mullins, who has his ASA Level 2 coaching licence in sprinting and was the Eastern Province Athletics team manager for the ASA Senior and Combined Championships in 2013 and 2014.

Mullins’s breakthrough came in 2014 during the Super Rugby franchise Southern Kings’ financial struggle.

“I was volunteering at the Southern Kings for seven months due to their financial struggles but a few months later they started to pay. I built relationships with the players and started working off that. I got involved in all sporting codes and just put my name out there, which paid off,” said Mullins, who had stints with Super Rugby teams such as the Brumbies and Highlanders. He had a spell with the Warriors Cricket franchise in the Eastern Cape and the Proteas.

In 2018, Mullins got the opportunity to work with the Pakistan Cricket Team before their tour of Zimbabwe, where they whitewashed the home side 5-0 in an ODI series.

“I worked with the Pakistan team physiotherapist Cliff Deacon a few times and then he said they’re looking for a massage therapist and I grabbed the opportunity with both hands,” he said.

SERGIO MULLINS