Simbine is super fast, but still without a Hollywood ego

As a society, we like to place people on pedestals.

The best example we have of this is the way we treat Hollywood movie stars.

If a human being is constantly being adored and told by everyone they bump into that they’re special, they eventually start to believe it.

So when you meet a junior prodigy in sport, you generally meet a timid youngster who is overwhelmed by the interest shown in them.

Fast forward 10 years, however, and that same person will be as confident as a human being can be, which is of course not a bad thing. The problem is that many athletes also develop egos which match their confidence.

It’s our fault, not theirs. They’re just reacting to the treatment they receive from people who turn them into idols.

I’ve seen this transition more times than I’d like to remember, so it’s always a relief to witness an athlete who is able to overcome the constant idolisation and keep their feet on the ground.

And we currently have a prime example of such an athlete.

You will struggle to find a more humble person than South Africa’s fastest man.

Akani Simbine was pleasant to deal with in his younger days, and he is just as pleasant today, whether he’s dealing with large groups of people or a single individual.

He simply hasn’t allowed the relative fame to go to his head, and as someone who would likely fall prey to my own ego in the same situation, it has always impressed me that he has grown as a person and an athlete without letting the adulation affect him.

One of quickest on planet

Simbine is one of the quickest human beings on the planet. At the last three major global championships he has finished inside the top five, and having dipped under 10 seconds on 29 occasions, he is currently the most consistent 100m sprinter on the global circuit.

In terms of South African athletics, he is establishing himself as a legend, and if anyone in this country has the right to let the adoration get to him, it’s Simbine.

Yet he remains humble, and even if he wins gold at the Tokyo Olympics this year, I don’t think it will do anything to change his personality.

So it’s no surprise that Simbine has now invested in BackTrack Sports – a local media company which covers athletics on various platforms – by purchasing a majority share and being appointed chief executive of the company.

For many athletes, their contribution to their sport starts and ends on the field of play, but for Simbine, athletics means so much more.

It’s fantastic to see him investing in domestic track and field with an eye on expanding his contribution throughout the African continent.

Simbine is humble, gracious and committed. We need more athletes like him.