Northcliff’s Oluchi Ndubueze the next big name in athletics

Local runner Oluchi Ndubueze (9) has a bright future ahead of her after becoming the South African U9 sub youth champion in 60m, 80m and 600m.

Oluchi, who attends Northwest Christian School in Northcliff, won around 14 medals in athletics last year.

These include three gold against the country’s best at the Sub Youth Inter Provincials 2018 in November.

She also won one gold and two silver at the Central Gauteng Athletics Championships, as well as two gold and two silver at South African Christian Schools Sports Association (Sacssa) National Championships.

Also read: Northwest Christian School athletes do proud at national competition

It was a stellar year for a girl who now has physical evidence showing she is possibly the best runner in her age group in the country over these distances.

But for Oluchi, medals are not the be all and end all of athletics.

“The sport is fun to do and I enjoy it. My goal is to represent South Africa when I am older and go to the Olympics,” said Oluchi, whose role models are Usain Bolt and Caster Semenya.

Oluchi’s goal this year is to do well at all the major championships again and win medals in every race she competes in.

Northwest’s sports coordinator, Gary McNab was full of praise for the youngster.

“Oluchi is very dedicated and has so much talent. She could be the next big thing in South African athletics,” he said.

“If she keeps training and working hard she could be a [senior] South African champion.”

Oluchi’s private coach Phyllis de Fouw agreed that the young girl’s dedication and love of running were behind her success.

“She is a pleasure to coach because she always wants to do more. Even on rest days, she wants to run,” De Fouw said, adding that Oluchi could ‘definitely’ reach her goal of representing South Africa if she maintains her hard work and discipline, while not letting her passion subside.

Also read: Northwest Christian School celebrates a stellar year in sport