Self-doubt almost swayed Sabelo Nene off track when it came to his love for running, but he shrugged off these feelings and since then has never looked back.

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The 17-year-old is a proud member of the Loskop Gijimas and running is his foremost passion.
Sabelo grew up in Loskop, attending Inkosi Mjwayeli Primary School and completing his academic career at Enkomokazini Technical High School.

He says that his interest in running was piqued at a young age and he was keen to find someone to train him.
However, Sabelo lacked confidence.

“Before I joined the Loskop Gijimas, I didn’t have the guts, but I saw that losing faith in myself wouldn’t help me. I also thought that running was a hard thing to do, but clearly all my thoughts were wrong,” reminisces Sabelo.

To put his dream in focus, he decided to join the Loskop Gijimas, which is a running club consisting of young members – started by local runner Amanda Mbongwa.

After joining the club on January 8, 2018, Sabelo started planning for his first competitive race, a 5km that was scheduled for March 23, 2018 (a mere two months away).

“It was so hard for me,” he admits.

But that first 5km run has propelled Sabelo to challenge himself with longer distances and he now has a strict training regime that not only includes daily 5km runs, but also a weekly 25km or 30km. Being part of the Loskop Gijimas has boosted Sabelo’s physical and mental confidence.

“At the club, we learn many things such as not losing hope until you get where you want to be. I have also found good people who understand each other,” he explains.

Sabelo says that one of the highlights in his running career is last year’s Josiah Gumede Marathon, describing it as “lovely”.

“All the Loskop Gijimas members improved their running time at this marathon. I did well in this race too,” he smiles.

His personal goals are to improve his running times and be the best junior in Estcourt… And when the road gets tough, he reminds himself of this mantra: Even when you can see that the steps you’re taking are not easy to achieve, don’t lose hope; fight for what you want to achieve.

Sabelo hopes that the love for running will ‘overtake’ the youth and encourage them to ditch social ills.

“I would like to see the youth joining our club, because running teaches us more about life and encourages many people to stay away from drugs and alcohol,” says Sabelo.

The young runner says that his journey would not be complete without the guidance of others.

“I am grateful for the love and joy I get from our committed members. I would like to thank the man who leaves all his needs to attend to the club, Nduku Mdakane. I also send gratitude to the lady who plays the role of being a mother to our club, Amanda Mbongwa, and I would like to congratulate our team members who managed to get into the Uthukela District team,” concludes Sabelo.

NOW SEE: PHOTOS: ‘Phenomenal’ Youth Challenge held in Loskop

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