Bayanda Walaza, who won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, dedicated it to his mother.
Walaza’s father died tragically when he was 10 years old, leaving his mother Tholiwe to raise him alone.
“I really appreciate my mom a lot. I dedicate this win to her,” said Walaza.
Walaza received a hero’s welcome when he returned to Curro Hazeldean High School in Pretoria after his exploits in Paris.
Meanwhile, Walaza’s coach projected that the youthful sprinter will continue to dominate athletics for years to come.
It’s unsurprising that at the age of 18 and having played an important role in South Africa’s 4x100m relay team, great expectations have already emerged.
Walaza competed in the men’s 4x100m relay, which also included Akani Simbine, Shaun Maswanganyi, and Bradley Nkoana.
It was a spectacular race in which Team SA finished second to Canada, while the much-hyped USA team mishandled a changeover and was disqualified.
Walaza’s coach Thabo Matebedi, or ‘coach T’, sung the praises of his rising star.
“He’s a brave young man. He has a lot of potential. He can go far. We haven’t seen the best of the young man. There’s still a lot he needs to improve on. I believe he will dominate, and be one of the best athletes in the world,” said Matebedi.
Meanwhile, Walaza said his time in Paris would be something he never forgets.
After the school assembly in which Walaza was honoured, there was a line of pupils still waiting to congratulate the athlete. It was also interesting to see that Walaza was eager to pass his prized-possession silver medal around for anyone who wanted to feel it, or hang it from their neck briefly.
Walaza explained why he wanted to share his medal with everyone.
As for the Olympic experience itself, Walaza said he went through a multitude of emotions.
“I went through the emotions because there was a point where I was shaking. Then I saw messages of good luck from everyone at the school, that made me think – these people are behind me, so why should I be scared? I’m carrying this whole school behind me, so let me just go there and do what I do best.
Long distance runner, Walaza’s school mate and best friend Lutho Timati, explained what the sprinter is like away from the limelight.
“Bayanda is a crazy guy. He’s one guy that would not allow people to be negative around him. He actually takes everything for a joke, because his personality is different from all of us. His performance at the Olympics inspires me and everyone else at the school. People that didn’t do athletics have now started to come to the training field because of his impact.”
