Bayanda Walaza displays his silver medal from the Paris Olympics, on his return to Curro Hazeldean High School FILE. South African sprinter Bayanda Walaza, who overcame personal tragedy to set a new Under-20 record with a blazing 9.99 seconds in the 100m, is the fastest sprinter in the world this year. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL Sport
Image: Michael Sherman/IOL Sport
He is one of the biggest rising stars on the world athletics stage at the moment, but the story of Bayanda Walaza is about more than just flying over the athletics track.
The records are coming fast and furious for Walaza, as he is currently the fastest 100m sprinter on the planet this year.
Walaza stormed to victory in an SA Under-20 record as he clocked 9.99 seconds in the Gauteng North Provincial Championships over the weekend.
The 19-year-old became the ninth SA sprinter to dip below the 10-second mark and improved the previous Under-20 record of 10.03 held by Bradley Nkoana.
After the Olympics, Walaza would go on to win the 100m and 200m titles at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Lima.
On Wednesday, he set another Personal Best (PB) just for good measure. This time it was 20.08 in the 200m he clocked at the Athletics South Africa Grand Prix held at the University of Johannesburg. His new PB is also another SA Under-20 record.
Nine years ago, however, the future appeared bleak for a young Walaza.
When Walaza returned from the Paris Olympics, his mother, Tholiwe, revealed in an interview with IOL Sport that her son had to overcome his father’s tragic death by gunshot at the age of 10.
“He lost his father in a violent fight when his dad got shot. He experienced all that. After that, it was tough. As a mother, I had to do something,” said Tholiwe Walaza.
“I went for counselling and for social workers to help. It’s something that was so bad. After we buried his father, he was going for counselling. If he saw something violent after that where we’re staying, if there’s something that triggered that, he would be going back.
“God, counselling and our family as a strong support system help to recover.”
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