WATCH: Doran falls short of gold, only just
She fell at the start of the race but picked herself to finish in second place.
Middle-distance runner Jade Doran showed what athletics is about when she picked herself up from a fall and fought back for a podium place at the Wildeklawer Super Inter-high track and field meeting on February 14.
A fall in the U16 girls’ 1 500m didn’t stop the Benoni High runner, who had earlier won the 800m, from fighting her way to second place in a mighty display of resilience and determination inside a buzzing Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria.
• Video by SuperSport Schools
She hit the deck during the tussle for the lead at the start of the race. Three of her competitors moved from wide to the first lane in a rush for the lead. Doran, who was on the third lane, also rushed to the front, but in all the haste, she tripped while overtaking the athlete on her inside.
“The start in athletics is rough, and you must find your way. It wasn’t the girl’s fault that she tripped me. It was an accident,” she said.
Though the tumble left her 200m behind, the 16-year-old got back on her feet, and despite an aching knee, she continued to run. She hobbled the first lap but, receiving loud cheers from her schoolmates in the stands, she started to run down her competitors, eventually crossing the line second in 05:13.20.
“Coach Michael van Aswegen always says that if we fall, we must get up and keep going. I told myself to get up, and if I finish last, it doesn’t matter. I kept going and gradually increased my pace. I realised I could catch them. I finished second.”
Her determination won applause from other athletes watching the race and was celebrated as one of the great moments of the event. A video showing Doran’s never-give-up attitude posted on the school’s socials went viral.
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Explaining her astonishing comeback, Doran, who runs for Benoni Northerns Athletic Club, said she got the strength to pull herself back into contention from her love for athletics.
“It came from all the years I’ve been running. I’ve been a runner since in Grade One. I love the sport so much I just wanted to carry on,” she explained.
Although angry with herself for her tactical miscalculation at the start, which almost cost her a place at the D17 championships, she is happy people got to see how much she loves the sport.
“I was angry because we had to run a specific time to qualify for D17. I was worried I didn’t qualify. I was angry with myself that I didn’t go wide and stay safe. If I had done it differently, I wouldn’t have fallen. But I was happy I carried on, even though I was in pain.”
The youngster shifts her focus to the clubs’ and schools’ provincial champs, where she hopes to qualify for the nationals in Cape Town from March 27 to 29 (clubs) and Bloemfontein in April (schools).
“I’ve been running good times this season. I finally get to run the steeplechase. I’m prepared to do well. I was third last year at the nationals and expect to place again this year,” Doran said.
Also Read: Doran makes her mark after achieving first national medal
