Last year, local athlete Tyran Brooks won his first South African School Cross Country Championship after illness sidelined him in previous years.
The Hoërskool Marais Viljoen High School Grade Nine learner is determined to stop at nothing until reaching his ultimate success in his sport.
The 15-year-old is the current SA schools’ U14 cross-country champ, the current SA champ (track and field) for the 3 000m for the Boxer Athletics Club, affiliated with Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA), at 08:49.
He is also the current SA school champ in the 1 500m and 3 000m track and field.
In 2023, he broke six track and field records. So far this year, he has broken five records on track and field. One of the impressive records was the 3 000m he bagged at the schools’ Gauteng Championship this year.
He proudly represents the Boxer Athletics Club at the CGA.
Ins and outs
Tyran’s love for running began when his father took him to the parkrun, where he ran a 2.5km route at only seven years old.
“When I started to run faster than him, I wanted to go faster and further every time I ran. I train at least 20km to 25km a day under the supervision of coach Deon Swanepoel. The workouts are season-specific to track and field or cross-country,” he explained.
He can seamlessly juggle his running and academics, finding the balance by planning the hours in his day with his parents and coach.
“Cross-country is always challenging because the terrain and track will always change. Track and field and road running are predictable. However, cross-country is about place, not always about time. The East London X-Country SA Schools was the most challenging because there were mud, rocks, hills and tree stumps on the route,” he said.
Not giving up
Though he encountered obstacles on his journey, he maintained a positive mindset.
“I have the mental attitude that I am never tired and pain is temporary. I ensure I go to a chiropractor, Dr Anika Steenkamp, once a month to keep my body aligned, and my parents give me muscle rub-downs when needed. I also inform my coach of any niggles or pains so we do not aggravate the problem,” Tyran said.
On big race days, he communicates with his mental coach, Clinton Swanepoel, “So I am in the correct frame of mind. I go through my normal routine for a time trial before every race.”
Moving forward, he wants to win the school and club SA Championships.
“I will achieve this by following coach Deon Swanepoel’s training regime and instructions because it has served me well in past years. Coach Deon pushes me to run faster and longer to improve my performance. We train in all weather conditions. In my mind, there is no bad weather, but rather a soft person,” he said.
To improve his performance, Tyran said his coach will always post the times he needs to achieve in training to run faster in races.
