From Florida to the world

Florida is home to a young athletic star, Udeme Okon, who recently shocked the nation with his 400m performance at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Lima, Peru.

Udeme secured a gold medal in the 400m with a finishing time of 45.69 seconds, which is his second-fastest time of the year. He then added an extra silver in the 4×400m relay, returning home with two medals.

“I’m honoured and blessed to have represented South Africa in the World U20 Champs. The feeling is surreal, and I’m grateful for everybody that has supported me through this journey – family, friends and teacher,” says Udeme.

Having started as a 100m and 200m sprinter at Florida Park High School, Udeme and his coach, Lyle Wentzel, switched to 400m after discovering and sharpening his strength in this specific track event.

According to Lyle, Udeme executed the race plan they had meticulously crafted throughout the competition, and he seamlessly progressed from the heats to the semi-finals and ultimately, the finals.

“We knew that if we stuck to our race plan and model, we would make it through the rounds and progress into the finals. In the final, our strategy was going to be the same just to produce faster times. The competition was tough; however, we executed better on the day,” says Lyle.

This young man’s journey is no surprise, as he has passionately and fearlessly created a seat at the table for himself by climbing up the ranks regionally, nationally and to where he is right now.

“The future is looking bright and promising. We leave everything in God’s hands, and we will have a successful future going forward,” he concludes.