Tyrone strives for personal best at international champs

DURBAN athlete Tyrone Pillay is looking forward to the next time he dons his green and gold at theGerman nationals next month after a personal best 32.45m for discus at the Caixa Loterias Athletics Open Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The disabled athlete, who never lets his disability dictate his limits, only became a professional athlete six years ago and is hoping to represent South Africa in the Commonwealth Games in July and August.

Tyrone has exceded his greatest expectations and realised his childhood dream of wearing South African colours and representing his country. “To be honest I never thought of being a paralympic athlete. I always wanted to be an olympian, running the 100m for SA but guess that is just a dream for now because I weigh over 100kg and think running would be a serious problem,” he joked.

“I was born with a congenital abnormality. I’m not sensitive at all about my disability. It defines me and could never be seen as a setback or in any way affected my childhood. It’s a gift from God that has allowed me to inspire people,” he added. Tyrone’s parents chose not to amputate his leg and his sports doctors believe it was the best decision in order for him to excel at disabled sport.

As a boy Tyrone loved cricket and played competitive cricket for 12 years.

I couldn’t progress much further with cricket due to my disability so I decided that I needed to find a sport that would accept me for my disability.

He had dabbled in shot put and discus as a school boy and decided to put his efforts into the sport. “I would download YouTube training videos to understand the sport and how to land and throw.” Before long he was participating in South African national athletics championship,s but coming second was not good enough for the perfectionist. “In 2010 I got two silver medals in the SA Champs and decided to take the sport seriously and enlisted the help of a coach for the technical aspects that I needed to excel.”

He was short listed for the Paralympic Games in 2012 but did not make the team but his chance to represent the country came last year at the World champs in France and later at the IAAF Diamond League in London where he was placed third and received a personal best.

“I don’t do this for medals, money or fame, but to inspire and motivate able and disabled people to work hard at everything you do. You need to give it your all whether its career sport or even social sport.

“I hope to do well in the Commonwealth Games and hope to make the SA team for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. Winning a medal would be a bonus. I always look forward to competing in the green and gold and its the greatest honour any athlete can ever experience.”

Tyrone juggles a demanding IT position at a car manufacturer, the StepUp500 foundation which he founded to assist kids in need of prosthetics and a rigorous sporting career. “It’s not easy juggling it all but with time management and an excellent support structure all can be achieved. It’s all about determination and drive,” he adds.

Weekly Training regimen:

Tyrone prepares for competitions throughout the year to build the explosive power needed for shot put and discus.

Three days of weight training at the gym, which includes dead lifting, snatch clean and jerks.

Three days of technical work including track work.

One day of pilates for core strength.

One day of swimming.

Weekly Diet regimen:

Tyrone has cut out most junk food and has stuck to a strict Low GI diet with the help of his dietician since he began training as a professional athlete. He has three meals with three healthy snacks of dried fruit or nuts in between, and at least 3,5 litres of water each day. If ever he could cheat, it would be masala breyani once in a year.

Breakfast (6-7am):

Each day starts with a combination of either Cereal Kellogs high fibre bran or flakes, low GI muesli, future life, fat free milk, fat free yogurt, or two eggs and whole wheat toast (three days).

Lunch (12-1pm):

Braised tuna and basmati rice (his favourite), whole wheat pasta and vegetables, Paneer (high protein homemade cheese) and soya products because meat makes him “feel a bit sluggish” and he abstains from meat on Mondays and Thursdays (as well as the month of September).

Ostrich mince lasagna is a special treat.

Salad accompanies all meals.

Dinner (5-8):

Fish and lean chicken breast with no skin. Tuna, vegetables and whole wheat pasta, wholewheat macaroni and cheese, a bean or paneer curry here and there .

Every meal is supplemented with salad.