Olympian visits former primary school
This 18 year-old Olympian attends his boarding school during the week but comes to Johannesburg on weekends to reside with his uncle
Former Arbor Primary learner Lythe Pillay (18) just returned from having competed at the Olympics in Tokyo.
He took part in the 4 × 400 metres relay on August 6 and 7 in heat one, heat two and the semi-finals.
But not placing in the finals did not take away his joy of the experience.
“After a seemingly never-ending walk through the stadium, we were at a complete loss for words at the fantastic light shows and fireworks during the opening ceremony,” he said.
“It was a great experience. It felt like something out of a movie.”
Despite no spectators, according to Pillay, it was still such an electric atmosphere.
“It was surreal walking into the Olympic Stadium,” he said.
This Olympian attends boarding school during the week but comes to Johannesburg over weekends to reside with his uncle. So a trip to his former primary school was definitely on his list of things he wanted to achieve.
Former head boy Pillay visited Arbor Primary and the joyous screams of excitement from all the children were something to witness.
Patrick Arentsen, principal of the school, had plenty to say.
“I believe Lythe’s visit and taking part in the Olympics sends a positive message,” he said.
“It shows the young learners that through hard work and dedication anything is possible.
“We as the staff of Arbor are so protective and proud of the children who attend here, so to see former learners like Lythe, Laura and Jethro do such great things with their lives just make us incredibly proud of them.
“Well done to all of you, and keep pushing the limits to reach your dreams.”
Pillay feels extremely fortunate and thankful to have travelled with athletes such as Wayde van Niekerk, Akani Simbine, Antonio Alkana (hurdler), Tlotliso Gift Leotlela (sprinter) and Ruswahl Samaai (long jump).
“During my athletic tour in Europe, I was able to engage and interact a lot with Akani and gained a lot of wisdom, guidance and advice based on his experiences,” explained Pillay.
Pillay and other athletes took part in many exciting activities such as:
• Trading badges with athletes from all the different countries
• Going to the Plaza
• Play games (such as darts, table tennis and various arcade games) in the game/recreational room
• Try out all the different types of food such as the local dishes in the casual dining hall
• Exploring the village
• Training and loads of Covid-19 tests
• Watching SA athletes compete (both in the stadium and from the village)
“The village was a total vibe. Although the food, accommodation and facilities were fantastic and well-orchestrated, my favourite part was being able to engage with and explore the village with the South African athletes.
“It was an extreme honour to represent my country alongside my teammates Zakithi, Thapelo, Ranti and Derrick. Although we were heartbroken that we didn’t qualify for the final, seeing the teams optimism and motivation to only improve inspired me.”
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