As agile as a leopard in its speed and confidence when climbing up to heights, those are the traits that 18-year-old athlete Udeme Okon is said to possess.
Trained and coached by Lyle Wentzel, Udeme has cemented his place as the master of athletics numerous times, mainly in the 200m and 400m track events.
This young man has fearlessly, passionately and unapologetically created a seat at the table for himself by climbing up the ranks regionally, nationally and to Athletics South Africa with all the points he collected from last year to currently.
Recently, Udeme was selected to compete for the South African team and participated in the 2024 BRICS games held in Kazan, Russia, from June 12–14, which was a huge feat for him.
According to Lyle, the competition was solid at first, however, Udeme rose from the challenge and managed to catch his opponents both in the 200m and 400m and he finished the 200m in 20.06 seconds and the 400m in 45.90 seconds which is a noteworthy achievement for Udeme.
“He is a man of few words, but he talks on the track. With his eye set on going pro, no doubt maintaining a steady focus and continued hard work, this will become a realisation for his future,” Lyle said.
Currently, Lyle and Udeme are preparing for the Peru Championships in Lima which are set to take place in August and they are already training hard. Lyle said they will combine their love for the sport, expertise and experience to ensure they return with medals.
