Interview with South African sprinter Clarence Munyai

South African sprinter Clarence Munyai who is part of the 4x100m relay team talks overcoming setbacks and running fast.

PUMA: The World Champs start on 19 August – what are your goals?

Clarence Munyai: To do the best I can in assisting the 4x100m relay team to contend for a medal.

Your form has been improving over the past few months with especially strong results in July including a season’s nest 20.22 in Switzerland. How do you and your coach ensure you peak at the right time for the World Champs?

It’s all about trusting the plan and knowing coach will make me run fast when it matters. Sticking to the plan is really important as an athlete to perform at your highest level, and I trust my coach and his planning.

What does the World Champs mean to you in terms of the path you have run since childhood?

It is always an honour as I get to go out there and not just represent myself but my country and also inspire the next generation.

What challenges have you faced this year and how have you overcome them?

Early in the year I picked up an injury which set me back. I had to be mentally tough and resilient. I had to be patient and trust my team would get me back into shape in time for World Champs.

What keeps you motivated to put in the hours of hard work?

The desire for success.

Your favourite achievement?

When I broke the 300m Junior World Record in Ostrava. Two World Records were broken in that race – Wayde van Niekerk broke the senior record, and I broke the junior record. It was special to be part of two South Africans breaking two World Records in the same race.

What are your strengths as an athlete?

Resilience and ability to pick myself up after setbacks. To still have that fire in me to keep pushing. As athletes we suffer a lot of setbacks, so never giving up and learning from the setbacks is what sets us up for those perfect races that we have been working towards.

What spikes do you wear and why do they work for you?

The PUMA evoSPEED Tokyo NITRO spikes – the best in the world. They are comfortable and specifically designed for high performance sprinting.

What attracted you to partner with PUMA?

Their motto “Forever faster” which speaks to me as a sprinter because, sprinting is about being fast which is why I knew PUMA would be the best fit for me.

Your advice to youngsters who may feel there are too many barriers blocking their dreams?

Know that in life on the road to success we all stumble at some point. But we should never give up because those experiences prepare us for success. What we learn on the journey is much more important than the destination.

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images