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Johannesburg - The Wayde van Niekerk story goes deeper than limelight, triumphs and winning gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games; it reveals pain, dedication and resilience.
Van Niekerk officially premiered his documentary, 43.03 – The Wayde van Niekerk story, named after the world record time set by the sprinter in Rio – at Montecasino Cinema on Thursday evening.
The event, hosted by his German sponsor T-Systems, was attended by many sports personalities, including newly appointed Bok captain Siya Kolisi, Proteas batsman JP Duminy, fellow athlete Caster Semenya and several Springbok players.
The night began with Van Niekerk socialising and taking pictures with friends and supporters.
The documentary showed the growing up years of Van Niekerk in Cape Town, when he was skinny before he developed the muscles and the athlete he is today.
His family members revealed that they allowed him to choose his career path without putting pressure on him, and supported his decision to become an athlete.
Throughout the proceedings viewers clapped and laughed at some of the scenes, especially when his cousins revealed how he behaved during their teenage years – he was lazy, slow and bullied.
MARRIAGE MATTERS: Wayde Van Niekerk and his wife Chesney Campbell together with Springbok winger Courtnall Skosan and his wife Semone Skosan. (Photo: Silver Sibiya)
After the show, Kolisi said the documentary inspired him to do better.
“It is really emotional. I haven’t known him for long but it feels like I have known him for a very long time. Seeing what he has done for the country inspires me to be better every day,” said Kolisi.
Mzi Khumalo, director of the documentary, said the promise in the world champion was the reason they decided to tell his story.
“We approached him before he achieved his status. At the beginning of our partnership with Wayde, we started documenting his story because we felt it is a story that inspires hope and one which we wanted to share with South Africa and the world,” said Khumalo.
He said he spent a lot of time with the reserved athlete, and would sometimes play basketball to help him come out of his shell.
“At some point, his family invited us for lunch, so it was hang out and we started being part of them.”
Filming the documentary took about two years because it was “on and off.”
The International Association of Athletics Federations world 400m champion said he hoped his story would help underprivileged people believe they could achieve their dreams.
“We made a decision at the outset of our partnership that we wanted to share Wayde’s story with South Africa and the rest of the world as a way to inspire, give hope and tell a true African global success story,” said T-Systems SA managing director, Dineo Molefe.
43.03 – The Wayde van Niekerk Story will premier around the country and some parts of the world before it can be made available to everyone.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
