Miya races straight to the top

Themba Miya is a testament to the Thomas A Edison quote: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.”

The athlete from Tsakani did not give up when his leg injury prevented him from racing for 15 years, instead returning to the track as soon as he had recovered.

Miya was the first athlete from the Tsakane Athletics Club to compete in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Belgium in 2001. It took years of dedication and a love for athletics to get where he is today.

“I remember when I was in high school, I competed in a 5km race in my school shoes and won the race. It didn’t matter to me that I was racing in school shoes; I just wanted to run,” Miya revealed.

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The African Reporter met with him when he was in his most natural state after a training session at the JE Malipe Secondary School grounds.

Miya has been a part of the Tsakane Athletics Club since 1998, where the athletes train weekly under the guidance of coach Mbuyiselo Nkuna.

Miya’s talent has taken him all over SA and the world, racing in Malawi, Zambia, Mauritius, Algeria, Belgium and other countries.

“When I travelled overseas for the first time, I did not allow myself to feel intimidated by the other athletes. I thought we all deserved to be there.

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“Yes, it was challenging. We were mistreated in some countries, and adapting to the weather and culture was problematic. I kept my eye on the goal and didn’t allow those distractions to affect me,” he revealed.

In 2003, he won the Bellville South Africa U23 Championships, and in 2007, he represented SA in the All-Africa Games in Algeria. Miya says his key to longevity is self-belief and being down to earth.

“I don’t look down on people who come from where I came from. I belong with the people I train with here in Tsakani. Even if a well-established athlete wants to reach me, they must come where I am,” he said.

His 10-year-old daughter is also in athletics. Miya says he hopes she reaches and surpasses his levels reached in athletics. He wishes the same for the youth who train with him at the Tsakane Athletics Club.