UWC athlete has a plan

UWC athlete Rodwell Ndlovu had some big ambitions for the 19th Africa Senior Championships, held in Marrakech, Morocco, in August, knowing that there was more at stake than just a medal.

The competition, held every two years, was a stepping stone for his dream to qualify for the International Association of Athletics Federations’ World Championships in Beijing next year, and for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Ndlovu, who made it to the semi-finals of the 200m event in Marrakech, believes the African Champs proved that things are going according to plan.

“I’m only 22 years old and I feel that I’m growing in athletics,” said the student, doing his BSc honours in stats and population studies, on his return from the competition. “I’m on the right track to achieve my goals to secure places in the World Championships next year and the Olympics a year after, which my coach and I set eight years ago.”

Ndlovu noted that the African Championships meant a great deal to him. “It was an honour and a great experience to to perform with some of the top athletes in the world.”

As is typical for students with sporting ambitions, Ndlovu has to do a lot of juggling. “I’m doing my postgraduate degree, which is very taxing, but I’m 100% [confident] I will finish this year with my honours degree while still fully participating in fulltime professional athletics, which is also demanding,” he says. “You just need to balance the two and prioritise.”

The chairperson of the UWC Sports Council, Ndlovu has a word for youngsters aspiring to be athletes. “Your circumstances or where you come from should not be the reason why you can’t perform to the best of your abilities. Find something you love and have ambitions to do it better that anyone else.”

Ndlovu, who graduated with a BA in March, hailed UWC for his achievements. “UWC gave me the opportunity to showcase what I’ can offer, and it’s through the University that I ’m here today”.