Coaching is a calling to Samuel Sepeng
His brother was a South African superstar on the athletics track, but Samuel Sepeng found his calling as a coach of top athletes.
The two things motivating Samuel Sepeng every day he goes to the athletics track to coach are making a difference in athletes’ lives and leaving his legacy.
Sepeng, a familiar face on the track of the Tuks athletics stadium, specializes in middle distances. He is undoubtedly on his way to do so become a legend.
Seven of the athletes he coached competed at the Paris Olympic Games. Two of them were finalists in the 800-metres. Thepiso Masalela (Botswana) finished seventh in the men’s final with a personal best time of 1:42.82. South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso finished 8th in a time of 1:58.79. He coaches athletes from South Africa, Botswana and Australia.
Sepeng was nine years old when his brother, Hezekiel, won a silver in the 800 metres at the 1996 Atlanta Games. That moment his brother crossed the finish line changed his life forever. The younger Sepeng promised himself that he would also win a medal at the Olympics.
As his brother, he also competed in the 800 and 1500 metres. He was good but needed to be better to break through at the top level. He represented South Africa as an under-18-athlete but never quite made it as a senior athlete. So, he started to coach.
“From a personal perspective, being at the Paris Games with my brother was a dream come true. But it is not mission accomplished as one brother has a medal and the other does not,” Sepeng explained during a recent interview.
Photo: Reg Caldecott
He is confident that one of his athletes will medal at the 2028 Olympics.
“Paris was a learning curve for me and my athletes. Knowing now what the Games is about means the real journey starts from next year. The immediate goal is to get an athlete to medal,” he remarked.
Coaching is genuinely a calling to Sepeng.
“I coach is to make a difference in athletes’ lives. Not money. Most of the athletes I coach don’t have money. So, I have a clubhouse where I and most of the senior athletes stay. I buy the food for all of us. To see my athletes happy and achieve their goals is my reward. There are days when, as a coach, I am down, but everything changes when I step onto the track. It is as if I am where I need to be. I make sure there is a smile on my face. The athletes consider me a funny coach, a friend and a father,” Sepeng said.
One of his special memories was when he went to meet Sekgodiso’s parents.
“She comes from a poor background. I promised her parents we would return to build them a big house. To see that house now makes me a proud coach,” he said with a smile.
The Tuks coach, which is also involved at the of the ACE Trust of TuksSport High School, is a self-acclaimed sports nut. So often, he watches rugby, cricket, or football when he has free time. He is a big fan of the Springboks. As he was a keen rugby player at school.
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