For Lwazi Mofokeng (17), winning the men’s U20 100m race at the Gauteng Regional Athletics meeting on August 15 was more than just a victory – it was confirmation that his hard work is beginning to pay off.

The young sprinter clocked 11 seconds to take first place and is now setting his sights on breaking the 11-second barrier.

“I felt very happy and excited that all my hard work is showing up,” said Lwazi.

Lwazi only started athletics in Grade 10 and began taking the sport seriously in 2025.

His interest in sprinting was encouraged by teacher Karen van den Oever, who recognised his passion for running.

“She saw my passion for running and she told me, ‘You have a passion,’ and I wanted to try it out,” he said.

While his progress has been encouraging, Lwazi said his journey has not been without challenges.

He has had to deal with performance plateaus as well as anxiety before races.

“I like to talk to myself and pray to God and ask for strength,” he said.

His family has also played a major role in his development, with Lwazi crediting his mother, father and brothers for encouraging him not to give up and supporting him at competitions.

His mother, Zanele Mofokeng, said she was thrilled to see his commitment and preparation producing results.

“I was happy because it really shows that his commitment is nowpaying off, you get to see the results,” she said.

Zanele has watched her son make changes to his lifestyle as he commits himself to athletics, including going to the gym, exercising, reducing his sugar intake and trying to get enough sleep.

She said balancing athletics with matric has been challenging, but Lwazi has remained dedicated.

“He’s so dedicated. He goes to the gym, he exercises, he tries to balance. He’s in matric, so he’s trying to balance the school and the athletics. It has been a challenge. I’m glad that he’s now finally seeing the results that he has been pushing through.”

Lwazi trains three times a week in Glenvista under his coach and has developed a routine that allows him to balance his sporting commitments with his studies.

“If I see I’m writing a test tomorrow, I will not attend training. I have to set a plan for myself. I have to work out my schedule.”

Although athletics is an important part of his life, Lwazi does not intend to pursue a sport-related qualification after school.

He hopes to study IT or software engineering at university.

For Zanele, however, she hopes her son will continue to pursue athletics alongside his education, with the ultimate dream of seeing him compete internationally and represent South Africa.

“My hope is to see him at university, participating and also doing a course that he likes. But it’s to see him where he can participate and represent South Africa against the rest of the world, that’s my dream for him,” she said.

Lwazi’s August 15 victory was his first major tournament, with his next competition scheduled for September 5 at Jamestown.

With the experience of his first major victory behind him, the young sprinter now has a clear target which is getting his time below 11 seconds.

For Zanele, the key to achieving those goals is consistency.

Lwazi’s journey is still in its early stages, but with his sights firmly set on improving his time while completing matric and preparing for university, the young sprinter is already showing that determination on and off the track can go a long way.