Mpho Tladi (18), who is a matric pupil at Jeppe High School for Boys, was named the Junior Athlete of the Year.
The award was presented to him during the Central Gauteng Athletics Awards in 2015.
Last year he went to the World Youth Championships in Colombia and advanced to the semi-finals of the 110 metre hurdles. Tladi made light work of his heat, clocking 13.53 seconds for first place. He also won the SA Champion award this year.
“I started running at a young age without knowing that I will come this far one day. I was inspired by my brother and I look up to him.”
“It is not easy to study and focus on sports at the same time. Last year I missed time from school when I went overseas. It’s hard but I try my best to manage school and sports,” said Tladi.
He is a role model to many children, although managing his career in athletics while keeping his marks up is no easy task.
Tladi said his parents are proud of him and they support him through this journey because they know that sports is his passion.
