A record of note
After 27 years, local resident Thean Prinsloo is still the proud title holder of athletics record he set as a young boy.
POLOKWANE – At the time, as a Gr 1 learner, Thean ran the 60 m sprint for the fun and not at all with a record in mind.
“I just ran towards the finish line, what did I know about records at that age?”
His time in the event, was 9, 71 seconds.
“Having set a record that still stands, is awesome. I would like to keep my name behind it for at least three more years. I hold other records too, but they are obviously not that ‘old,'” he said.
Thean says as a child he competed in the 60 m, 80 m, 100 m and even the 1 200 m.
“In high school, I focused on the 100 m, 200 m, 400 m and 400 m hurdles.”
After school, he got busy and subsequently stopped running.
Thean, who still watches athletics and the Olympic Games on television, says he still feels proud of his almost three-decade record, and he encouraged young runners to give it their best in their athletics journeys.
“If you have a talent, use it,” is his advice.
