BNAC twins’ success spurred on by running own race

The Sawyer twins, Teaghan Jade and Rhys Connor, have quietly been earning a reputation as a formidable duo and the most consistent athletes in both cross-country and track and field for their school and Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) juniors.

Before their meteoric rise with some noticeable performances for Farrarmere Primary and their former club, Benoni High Athletic Club (BHAC), especially on the track, the super-fast siblings’ success has been spurred on by their pursuit to be the best version of themselves.

They relish running their own race because it brings the best out of them.

“Athletics lets me cope with everything. I love this sport. I push myself to be a better person every day. I don’t care about competing against others because I believe I can only better myself. I compete to better my times,” said Teaghan.

They have featured in the CGA cross-country season where they competed in the boys’ and girls’ U12 3km events. This prepared them well for the schools cross-country season and both are making waves for their school.

While the club season went well for Teaghan, she wants to qualify for the nationals for schools for the first time. So far, things are looking great for the 12-year-old.

In the first league meeting, she was second in her category and finished first in the second event at Benoni Northerns on August 6.

“I participated in the club season to prepare for the schools cross-country season. I have done quite well, but the goal is to get to the schools nationals. I only made it to the district championships,” she said.

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Encouraging

Rhys started running in Grade Four after his mom, Shannon, saw his potential. He started with track and field, achieving great results for his club and school.

Though he prefers the fastness of the track, cross-country has made him a better runner. A personal milestone of 10:23 for fourth place at the seventh CGA cross-country league meeting in Germiston in July, convinced the youngster he will have a better schools season.

“This year the goal is to get to the schools national championships for cross-country. I only made it to the Gauteng champs but have been to the nationals. I know what to expect because of the experience from the club season,” he said.

The twins ran in the colours of the Benoni High Athletic Club (BHAC) when they started running in 2022, but since switching to coach Michael van Aswegen at the BNAC, their performances have been improving.

“Coach Michael is very encouraging. He does not push us too hard – to the point where we start hating the sport. He makes us enjoy running,” explained Rhys.

Teaghan added, “He always encourages us to do our best. He does not care if we win or lose, as long as we do our best”.

The twins expressed admiration for Shannon, a constant feature at their events, explaining she is their role model.

“She is the most encouraging mom. She is always pushing us to do our best. Without her, I don’t think we would be where we are now,” said Teaghan.

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