A 10-year-old laaitie from Kraaifontein has blitzed his way to the top spot after being named the fastest athlete in his division in the Western Cape.
Dylan Calvert, a Grade 4 pupil at Meridian Pinehurst, bagged gold in the boys Under-10 80m and 100m sprint events at the Western Cape Primary Schools Championships at Dal Josafat Athletics Stadium in Paarl on Saturday.
He also smashed the provincial record of 10.93 seconds in the boys U10 80m sprint final, clocking 10.73.
The Bellville Athletics Club athlete now has his eyes set on the South African Primary Schools Championships, where he will represent the Western Cape in Limpopo later this month.
Dylan is overjoyed about his achievement.
He says: “It isn’t always about winning, but also important to have fun and enjoy myself. I am also grateful for all the opportunities I have received so far.
“My season hasn’t been easy, as I changed schools and needed to balance training and competitions.”
The young speedster is a fan of 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, who also grew up in Kraaifontein.
“He always motivates me to do better, whether it is during training sessions or competitions,” says Dylan, who started doing athletics a few years ago following a school competition.
Dylan enjoyed the competition so much that he asked his parents if he could join an athletics club and has never looked back since then.
Dylan adds: “I cried a lot in the beginning, but it made me stronger.”
Proud dad Ryan said his dedication, hard work and talent shines brightly on and off the track.
Ryan says: “This fills our hearts with happiness and admiration. Seeing him excel brings us immense delight and a sense of fulfilment as parents.’’
His coach Eugene Atkins, says Dylan always tries to improve on his times and constantly raises the bar.
Eugene says: “I knew he was going to excel as he puts in a lot of effort during training sessions. He displayed great character and determination throughout the season.’’
