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Ferdinand Omanyala has given an account of how watching Akani Simbine got him motivated to keep going despite the numerous setbacks he was facing as an upcoming sprinter.
Olympian Ferdinand Omanyala has explained how South Africa’s Akani Simbine inspired him to stay grounded in the sport despite the numerous setbacks he was facing.
Omanyala ditched rugby for sprints and just like any other athlete, he hoped to rise to stardom at lightning speed but that was not the case since he had to put in the work to get to the top.
The 28-year-old encountered setbacks but watching Simbine, who was steadily rising to the top at the time, gave him motivation that he could also do it. At the time Omanyala was competing in the sprints, Simbine was the African record holder with 9.86 before lowering his time to 9.82.
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However, Omanyala meant business during the 2021 Kip Keino Classic when he wrote history to shatter the South African’s record. He clocked an impressive time of 9.77 to win the hotly contested race.
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“I joined when Simbine was getting to the top and he really inspired me because he has made it to like all the finals…he has been consistent.
“I looked up to him a lot and when I started doing sprints, the African record was 9.86 and we knew we couldn’t even get closer to that but we broke it twice. Simbine did it, running a 9.82, and then a month later, I broke it, 9.77,” Omanyala said.
Meanwhile, Omanyala also insisted that the sport is more mental and in order for an athlete to succeed, they need to be mentally strong.
He added that his coach Geoffrey Kimani and his manager have helped me keep away from things that would cost his sanity.
“I have a very good coach right now and a very good manager and when I get proposals to go somewhere, I let them handle that.
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“We’ve missed a lot of things this year for my benefit…I’ve actually been out of media for the first time this year and at some point, people were concerned. However, it has been controlled nicely where I get to train and focus without much pressure,” Omanyala added.
Follow the Pulse Sports Kenya X (Twitter) handle for more news.
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