IT has been a dream year for Durban North resident’s Henri Schoeman who made history this year at two events. In March, he won only the second World Triathlon Series (WTS) win at the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi. The former Oakridge College learner managed to come out on top and become only the second man in WTS history to win the race after leading in all three disciplines from start to finish.

Then fast forward a month and Schoeman is now a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, making history as South Africa’s first gold medal winner in the sport of triathlon in the games.

Schoeman upstaged the race favourites, the Brownlees (Alistair and Johnny who finished 10th and seventh respectively) and finished in a time of 52min 31sec at the Gold Coast Games.

“Standing on the top step of the podium in any race is a massive honor, being able to do it at a major Games event like the CWG, is really a dream come true. After the year I had last year, it just makes it so much more special to be able to come back and prove to everyone including myself that all my hard work is paying off.

Read also: Durban North’s Schoeman wins Commonwealth Gold

“I was very careful to not over exert myself on the swim and bike. I exited the water in third place and stayed in the second/third wheel position for most of the bike. On the run, I was mindful to not take the first 1km too hard to ensure that I could have a strong finish. All the guys are really strong so it’s never an easy win, I just think that race tactics are very important,” he said.

Schoeman also had a few words of wisdom for up-and-coming athletes.

“The road to success is not easy by any means but with the right support, hard work and a humble heart, the bumps in the road will seem a lot smaller and much easier to overcome.”

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