Local javelin athlete aim for green and gold

She recently won the Gauteng Masters, Sama Championships and the South African (SA) Senior competitions.

When she hurt her shoulder in 2007 she thought she would have to throw in the towel.

“I had a shoulder operation and was told by the doctor that my javelin career was something of the past,” says van Vreden.

Before she hurt her shoulder she was one of the top three senior javelin athletes in the country between 2004 and 2007.

Yet this didn’t deter her from coaching the sport – although van Vreden says while coaching it feels awkward not to be able to throw a javelin.

When she started teaching at Springs Boys’ High School in 2012, where she heads up the department of life orientation, she got involved with the sport again.

Soon she felt the urge to take pursue her dream of becoming a Springbok athlete.

Working one day at a time and with the support of her husband Juan (35), Van Vreden soon felt comfortable to compete again in 2016.

She wasn’t disappointed when she took fourth place in the SA Seniors competition with a distance of 47.90m.

However, thus far she has won three competitions.

At the SA Seniors competition held at the University of Johannesburg stadium, she took first place with a distance of 44.98m, followed by the Athletic SA Speed Series held in Potchefstroom with a distance of 46.86m.

At the recent SA Gauteng Athletics championships she had another win with a distance of 44.60m.

Van Vreden says the highlight this year was the SA Masters Athletic National championships, where she broke the SA javelin record for the 30 to 34 year age group.

The competition was held in Green Point, Cape Town where she planted her javelin at a distance of 45.92m.

What makes her life worthwhile are her husband and daughter Liezel (4).

“We love camping and spend as much time together as possible,” she says.

Without having a particular hero, van Vreden feels she learns from every javelin athlete she comes across in her career.

“My aim is still to pursue my dream of wearing the green and gold and I plan to achieve this within the next four years,” she says.

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