Sprinting sensation Sarah has her eye on the Olympics
DOREEN PREMDEV
While there may be countless distractions vying for the attention of teens, 14-year-old Sarah Reed has one thing on her mind and that’s running. She is among the top eight runners in the country and wins most races she participates in.
Sarah, in Grade 8 at Curro Hillcrest, said she loves running and being active, having started running at school at the age of eight.
“My dad (Andrew Reed) ran the Comrades Marathon, and I used to watch him run when I was younger,” said Sarah. “Years later we had a cross country run at school, (and) this is where my love for running started. It was a friendly competition between my classmates, and it developed into something I now enjoy doing competitively. I love keeping fit and the feeling I get when I’m running – it makes me feel invincible. It also challenges me to do better and improve myself.”
Sarah was the only girl in her age group (under-16) to qualify for the championships in the 100m, 200m and 400m races and make the finals in all these events.
She said her driving force is to constantly improve her speed so that one day she would represent South Africa at the Olympics. Asked what her secrets to success are, she listed consistency, hard work and determination to reach her goals.
She trains four times a week for two hours and also plays netball, hockey and is in the Marimba band.
“I would recommend running to the young and old. It is a base sport for all other sports. If you are good at running, you can perform well in other sports. It's an enjoyable sport and I have a lot of fun with my friends when I am running. My family are big on running. Dad runs the Comrades Marathon, my brother, Jason, runs cross country and track and my mum, Bronwyn, was a sprinter at school and still holds records at her primary school,” said Sarah.
Since 2021, Sarah has been winning awards: in 2021/22 she won the 100m and 200m KZN Championships and was placed third in the SA Championships (2022); in 2023 KZN Championship - she was under 14 but competed in the under 16 team - she won the 100m and 200m races and got second place in the 400m race.
Sarah's athletics coach, Lux Gordhan, said Sarah is a promising runner with a lot of potential.
“I am confident Sarah is going to do exceptionally well. She is a committed and dedicated runner and has what it takes to be a winner.”