Local athlete (16) reaches for greater heights
Athlete Deon Rabie is adamant that he will one day represent the country at the Olympics.
At 16, Deon Rabie has enjoyed many exciting highlights and with his burning passion for sports, he is gunning for the Olympics.
The talented runner from Verwoerdpark is a testament that hard work pays off.
Practising six days a week, he is enrolled with the Diamonds Athletics Club with Maria and John Diamond as coaches.
Earlier this year, the Grade 11 Hoërskool Alberton learner played rugby for his school’s first team.
Rabie, who partook in several sporting codes since childhood, started with running at age seven.
“It all started in 2011 where I did middle distance and cross country at a national level for the u-9 boys. In Grade Seven, I decided that running was not for me anymore, so I quit. In Grade Eight, I then ran relays for the school,” he said.
He was selected to represent Gauteng for u-15 boys for steeplechase.
In Grade Nine, he took a break after suffering from an injury.
“In late November 2019, I was challenged by one of my friends who said I would never be able to do sprinting. I then decided to prepare myself for the following year. In 2020, I partook in inter-house athletics at school, taking part in100m and 200m and won,” said Rabie.
He further went on to take part in the 2021 Newton Classic Shoot Out, where he ran a 150m race and came in second place.
“I also ran in Marais Viljoen High School’s athletics club under the coaching of Deon Swanepoel. My goal is to qualify and go to the World Athletics Championships, as well as the Paris Olympics,” he said.
