George has the makings to run even faster times
A young student from Pretoria gives the reasons for her remarkable improvement as a sprinter over the past year.
When discussing South Africa’s top female sprinters, Anestayshia George’s name might not immediately come up, but that doesn’t mean she’s not fast.
George won the 200 metres (23.54s) at the recent USSA Championships at Pilditch and finished third in the 100 metres (11.65s).
The Tuks student ran personal best times in both events. She was fourth in the 200 metres at the South African Senior Championships and third at the South African under-23 championships.
George’s performances are 100% better than last year. In 2024, she was not in action in a final at any of the national championships. The improvement should come as no surprise, as the legendary Caster Semenya coaches George.
“‘One of the most important things I’ve learned from Caster is to back myself every time I compete. If you do not believe in your own abilities, the chances of you winning are slim,” she explained.
There’s a good reason why George enjoys testing herself to her limits against the stopwatch between two white lines.
“I’m naturally shy and struggle with low self-esteem. Athletics has helped me become a stronger person. When I run, I have confidence,” she remarked.
In the final round of the 200 meters at the USSA championships, she ran in lane eight.
“My first thought was that the other athletes were all better than me. But then I decided I was not just going to give up. I must prove myself even though I am one of the smallest athletes in the final,” she said.
George is considering scaling back her participation in the 100 meters from now on and focusing instead on the 200 and the 400 meters.
“As I have long strides when running, I might be more suited to run the 400 metres. The first time I met Caster; she thought I was a 400-metre specialist,” she concluded.
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