When Jade Doran stepped on the track alongside her teammates at MKO Abiola Stadium in Nigeria for the CAA U18 and U20 championships and at Estádio 11 de Novembro in Angola for the fourth African Youth Games, she carried the weight of her community and country on her shoulders.

The steeplechaser turned belief into performance, and what followed were coming-of-age contests that made her proud to compete in the green and gold.

Competing with Africa’s best junior athletes was a bucket-list moment for the Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) teenager, but nothing stood out more than finding her place in a sport she has bled for without really finding her identity.

“I can compare myself with other athletes, not only in the country but around the world. I have a place there. It feels like I exceeded my expectations.

“Going to other countries to represent South Africa has taught me that no matter what I think of myself, I belong with the best,” she said.

While pulling on the national colours filled Doran with a powerful sense of belonging, it was competing in less-resourced settings that left the biggest mark.

The experience thickened her skin, grounding her in the realities of the sport and highlighting the extraordinary hoops many of Africa’s top runners have to jump through to reach the elite level.

Also Read: Doran over the moon after representing SA in Nigeria

“This experience has taught me independence and discipline. When you are out there alone on the continent, you must keep yourself composed to race. It has taught me a lot about what I should do to deal with such situations,” said Doran.

As South Africa’s top age-group female steeplechaser, the Benoni High learner is ready to step up and deliver performances that have given her national recognition and grabbed the attention of the ASA selectors.

Doran, also the 2025 Benoni Northerns Sports Club junior sportsperson of the year, won the U18 2 000m steeplechase in a PB of 07:07.27 last year and is aiming to defend the title at the nationals scheduled for Germiston Stadium in March.

“I need to break 07:00 this year,” she said.

She started her season with a subdued showing in the first CGA track and field league meeting on January 31, clocking 07:35.97. But it was her honest analysis of this performance that demonstrated her growth.

“I ran much slower than I should have. I’m not proud of that. I don’t want my other races to be like this one.”

Doran won’t be satisfied if she wins the national gold without clocking a sub-07:00.

“The aim is to come back from the champs as the national champion again. It’s also to do better. Even if I become a national champ, I would prefer to win the title by having bettered myself as an athlete. I want to improve my time.”

Also Read: Doran off to African Youth Games