The 2016 SA champion in 1500m, Folavio Sehohle, has travelled west to the sporting hub of Potchefstroom in search of new athletic pursuits. Potch is well-known as one of the best places for athletes to train due to its high altitude, favourable weather, world-class facilities and technical expertise.
All these factors contributed to the talented Sehohle moving to Potch for the next five months to train with Jean Verster and the Potch Track Club (PTC).
Sehohle attributes his move to Dr Edward Berry, a longtime coach and mentor. He suggested that he move to Potchefstroom temporarily to continue his athletics career and further his Olympics dream.
“This year, it is perhaps a bit too late to qualify for the Olympics, but my goal is to make the Olympic squad in the next four years. I’ve still got at least 10 years left in me,” added Sehohle. One of the aspects he has been most pleased with in Potch is the number of quality athletes he can train with.
“Here, at Potch Track Club, everyone pushes you. You get to train with guys like Jerry Motsau and Elroy Gelant. They are top athletes and you are never in your comfort zone. Previously, in Nelspruit, I only had to push myself; you can sometimes get complacent, especially when Covid-19 stopped most races,” explains Sehohle. He trained extensively in Dullstroom in early 2020, before Covid broke his momentum.
Sehohle has also gained respect for his new coach at Potch Track Club, Jean Verster, whom he describes as special. “Coach Jean is an amazing human being who has a lot of experience in giving guidance. He also puts the athletes first and is great at man-management,” states Sehohle.
This talented runner’s love for athletics started at Hoërskool Vorentoe, where he put in some impressive performances. Samson Ngoepe, the former SA Olympic 800 m runner, spotted Sehohle and began mentoring him. Fast forward a couple of years and Sehohle competed in his first SA Championships, coming third in the 1,500-metre event.
He matched that in 2014 before ending fifth in 2015. 2016 was to be Sehohle’s year as he took first place in Stellenbosch in the 1,500 metres. “I trained under Hendrick Ramaala (SA 10,000 m record holder) in Zurich in early December 2015 to prepare ahead of those SA Championships. It was one of the highlights to win the SA Championships back in 2016.”
Now, Sehohle wants to start from scratch to build towards his future cross-country and marathon goals. “Talk is cheap and I don’t want to predict where I will be in a couple of years. I have to be realistic, so I am taking it step-by-step with the World Cross Country and Olympics in mind,” he stated.
