Naeem Jack in action as he leaps over a hurdle. Image: Supplied

Since he can remember, Naeem Jack has been running around; now he hopes his boundless energy can propel him to success on the world stage as he aims to compete for South Africa at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

In March, Jack, who competes for the University of Western Cape Athletic Club, broke the South African men’s Under 20 record in the 110 metre hurdles, clocking in a time of 13,16 seconds.

This week, he was back at the UWC Stadium for some practice runs, with his coach on hand, putting him through his paces for upcoming events.

“I’m originally from Mitchells Plain, I grew up there. My grandma still lives in Mitchells Plain, Portlands, and that’s where I’ve been my entire life, my entire childhood growing up,” said the 17-year-old who is still in high school.

His talent for athletics was spotted at Montague Drive Primary School in Portlands in Grade 1 and he’s been competing in the hurdles ever since. Asked whether some at the school tried to pull him into rugby or football, he says there was not much of a variety when it came to sports at his school.

@uwconline From playground sprints to World Athletic Championship ???? Naeem Jack has been running with purpose and now he’s chasing Olympic dreams. After smashing the SA U20 110m hurdles record with a blistering 13.16s, the UWC Athletic Club star has his sights set on Los Angeles 2028. #IAmUWC @UWCSport @UWCAthletics ? original sound - EEEMOH PURPLE WINTER

“At the time it was athletics and everyone wanted to do that when we were younger. I felt like that fit me best- running. I tried many sports but that just gave me a feeling, it was a different type of feeling from athletics specifically (compared) to other sports,” said Jack.

Naeem Jack wins his race. Image: Supplied

Jack said he was the first to take to track and field and that most of the men in his family had been rugby players.

“I created a new path in the family. Everyone, my cousins, my uncles, they all played rugby,” said Jack.

He’s hopeful of making it to be part of the South African team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. For now, he is training at UWC to maintain sharpness mixed in with some speed work, which translates to “high intensity but low volume”.

His athletic hero is the Olympic great and the current 100 metres record-holder, Usain Bolt. Also getting a mention was Chinese retired 110 metres hurdles champion, and Olympic gold medalist, Lui Xiang.

Paul “PJ” Jacobus who has been with Naeem for eight years said the teenager’s father reached out to him when Elite Athletics was established in Mitchells Plain.

Paul “PJ” Jacobus and Naeem Jack on the track at the UWC Stadium after a relatively light workout. Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

“He just came one day with slippers to training and I said, ‘Hey, you need takkies’, at that time he already had the raw talent and we could see that he had the potential to become a professional athlete,” said Jacobus.

He says through many ups and downs, Jack has remained focused and maintained his work ethic.

Naeem’s father, Ishaam Jack, was on hand at the stadium to watch his son in between fielding work calls on his cell phone wrapped in a leather pouch.

Asked when he realised that his son was talented, he said, “At first I tried to get him into soccer and rugby. Naeem was young, he was standing on the field during a soccer game, and a plane came flying past (overhead). Naeem left the ball and watched the plane going by,” he chuckles.

Naeem’s primary school principal approached Ishaam one day and said: “We see something special in your son where hurdling is concerned, not with sprinting or anything else”.

“That’s when we started to look for coaches for him to see if we could get him into the athletics field,” said Ishaam.