Setback won’t throw Stefanie off course
VANDERBIJLPARK. - Stefanie Greyling, SA woman hammer-throwing champion, who resides and studies in the Vaal, joined the cream of the country’s athletic fraternity for the 20th annual CAA African Senior Athletics Championship at the renewed Kings Park Stadium in Durban last week.
VANDERBIJLPARK. – Stefanie Greyling, SA woman hammer-throwing champion, who resides and studies in the Vaal, joined the cream of the country’s athletic fraternity for the 20th annual CAA African Senior Athletics Championship at the renewed Kings Park Stadium in Durban last week.
Her mind was set on breaking the SA women’s hammer-throwing record in her division at last week’s African Championship but she couldn’t manage to reach her usual impressive distances. Although she is disappointed with her performance, she is far from demotivated.
“It just wasn’t my day. I walked into the arena with the intention of giving it all I’ve got but I think I just tried too hard. I foiled all my attempts.
“My coach, Basie Koen, has a saying that, even after a disappointing performance, he can promise his athletes that the sun will definitely shine again and that life will go on. This is so true – in life as well as in sport. It isn’t about how many times you fall, but how many times you can get up again. I am taking a two-week break and will then again start training seriously for the next event in October. I will keep on using my God-given talent, I still have my mind set on breaking the national women’s record,” says Stefanie.
Her wins this year include the SA student series (u/23), SA Seniors Evening Series as well as the SA Seniors Championship. Since taking up hammer throwing at 13, her best performances to date are the 57.18 m (3kg) in Donetsk (Ukraine) in 2013 and 56.76 m in Pretoria in March this year.
Between training, Stefanie is also studying towards her BCom Sport and Recreation Management degree at the Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West University (NWU Vaal).
