Local athlete celebrates achievement of receiving his 30th race medal

LYDENBURG – For the past few years Sello Malatjie could not think of anything better than the sound of his tekkies on the tar. Malatjie recently celebrated his 30th medal when he took silver in the Om Die Dammetjie Marathon at Witklip Dam.

He mainly prefers roadrunning, but still enjoys races like the one at Witklip which take place on gravel roads. “Gravel roads are difficult so I like the tar roads. There are no stones and the tar is nice, but all races are good preparation, no matter the surface.” Although this was a silver medal celebration, this 24-year-old security company worker still has a burning passion and the belief that he can conquer mountains while piling up the gold. He dreams about running the well-known Two Oceans Marathon one day, but is now focussing on the 2014 Comrades.

“I’m practising on my own and have participated in various events, even in Johannesburg,” a very proud Malatjie said. According to him the biggest setback is finances. “I only have one pair of old tekkies and I have to use my own clothes.”

With the help from the community this promising athlete hopes to inspire many more young athletes. He is calling upon the residents of the town and surrounding areas to please help him with any contributions to make his dream come true. Malatjie is currently running for the Mashishing Marathon Club.