Florida Park High School Grade 11 learner Udeme Okon has made the school proud by obtaining first place in 200m at the Schools National Championships in Paarl.
Udeme managed to complete his 200m track event in 00:21:09 seconds and his 400m race in 00:60:37 seconds in the finals.
According to Udeme, the 400m is his strongest event, and he has been training rigorously for this moment with the help of his coach, Lyle Wentzel.
Lyle says Udeme is a once-in-a-lifetime generation talent.
“What sets him apart from other athletes is his mindset and passion for the game. He exceeds any barrier placed in front of him. He is also a very disciplined boy, which makes it easy for us to work together,” he said.
The natural-born athlete started his journey in Grade Two and was already participating in Gauteng Championships by Grade Three.
He has also represented the Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) in the U16, U18, U20, and U23 National Championships at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria, and managed to get second place when he finished his 200m track event in 00:20.54 seconds.
This young man also qualified for the U20 World Championships in 200m set to take place in Peru in August.
Udeme received a lot of support from the teachers of the school and says athletics is 90% mental and 10% physical.
“When you are competing, you have to fix your mental game and tell yourself you can do it. This is very inspirational for me. I have always wanted to improve and become a better athlete,” he said.
Udeme’s inspiring story has served as a reminder for Florida Park High School learners that with determination, perseverance, and a strong work ethic, anything is possible.
