Discus darling Leandri sparkles
It's been almost three years since Leandri Geel from Lindhaven burst onto the national sports scene.
In a 2012 interview with the Record, the Lindhaven resident said her dream was to wear the green and gold of South Africa.
The discus talent, who is currently doing her matric at Hoërskool Monument has always dreamed of representing the country and her dreams have come true.
In 2013 she was chosen to represent the country in the World Youth Athletics Championships where she finished in seventh position in the girls discus.
Last year, she helped the South African team pull through to the African qualifiers for the Junior Olympics which was hosted in China.
Here, she finished in sixth position.
In the same year, she was part of the team that participated in the Junior World Championships in the United States.
She was the youngest athlete in the South African team and competed against athletes two years her senior.
She finished the competition 22nd overall.
This year, the 17-year-old has been in top form. She was chosen to be part of the junior team that participated at the African Championships last month and was awarded the African junior discus champion award.
She also won the South African Schools girls U/19 discus and was crowned the South African junior discus champion.
Leandri broke records this year and is the first athlete in the Tuks Top 10 who holds records from the U/14 to U/19.
What makes her accomplishment even more awe-inspiring is that since last year, her father was diagnosed with stage 4 (lymphoma) lymph node cancer after a piece of his lung had to be removed and he also suffered a stroke. He is still undergoing chemo therapy.
“Every year, I set goals for myself and have managed to reach them all, thanks to God. It is through his grace that I have achieved so much,” she said.
With the help of one of the best coaches in the country Pierre Blignaut, Leandri she has won the South African schools discus event. She also won the South African nationals sub-junior, junior and youth discus divisions.
“Pierre is more than just a coach to me, he is the one who made me realise to be a winner, is to have Jesus in your heart. I have learnt a lot of life lessons from him and I’m thankful to him,” said Leandri.
