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Botswana's Olympic hero Letsile Tebogo still has a deep connection with his humble beginnings which his recent fame and riches can't derail him from.
An exceptional 2024 season birthed Botswana's Olympic hero Letsile Tebogo becoming one of the world's most famous and richest athletes, which he has now revealed won't let it affect his humble beginnings.
The phenomenal sprinter propelled himself to be a role model to thousands of young African athletes globally after winning Botswana's first Olympic gold medal in Paris, where he clocked a national record of 19.46s to win the 200m final in Paris, while the next day, he ran a heroic final leg to help his country earn 4x400m silver behind the US quartet.
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As part of his reward for bringing such honour to his country, the Botswana government announced a national holiday and gifted him two houses, amongst several monetary rewards.
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11:36 - 19.09.2024
The US destroys young African talents: Tebogo echoes Bayanda Walaza's decision on snubbing American training or college scholarships
Olympic champion and Botswana's track icon Letsile Tebogo reveals his honest opinion on training in the US and why young African sprinters should follow in Bayanda Walaza's footsteps.
In an interview with worldathletics.org on his Olympic exploits, Tebogo spoke on how the circumstances around a traumatic and challenging year almost led to the consideration of quitting the sport after the death of his mum.
These circumstances were made clear to the wider world in the wake of his Olympic victory as he solemnly displayed running shoes adorned with the initials of his mother, who died aged 44 in May after a short illness. He also had his mother’s initials painted on his fingernails.
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“It was a great tribute to her, because she has always been caring,” Tebogo told World Athletics. “Through thick and thin, she had always been there, supportive of everything I did.
“I was there when she was sick but I wasn’t really there because I was having to travel back and forth. I just visited her when I could, but she understood that my job didn’t allow me to just leave – but I believe she understands, wherever she is," he said.
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16:00 - 18.09.2024
'Ouch' - Usain Bolt reacts after being compared to 3D simulation of fastest land animals on earth
Usain Bolt is known as the fastest man in history, but where does he rank when compared to fastest land animals like a Cheetah? Also, can humans be redesigned to be as fast as animals?
“The first few days or few weeks after my mum died were super-difficult for me because I thought it was the end of the world, the end of my career, the end of everything I have tried to accomplish.
“But then the people who were around me, my coach and my team, told me to take each day as it comes, one step at a time. Don’t try to make a big step when you can’t manage to handle it," Tebogo added.
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16:53 - 14.09.2024
'Fred (Kerley) was there for me during my hard times' - Letsile Tebogo revels in the bromance he shares with American speedster
Letsile Tebogo shed light on his bromance with Fred Kerley which has got track fans intrigued in the past few months.
“So they pushed me on, day in, day out. There were days when I didn’t have the motivation to train. So they said, ‘just come, show up, come watch us train, maybe you will be motivated as you see us doing the job. But don’t put yourself under pressure.’ So that’s how it was.
“And then eventually everything started to just click in, and I just said, no, as a runner let us get away from this country and just come to Europe and then it will be much easier doing everything away from where the tragedy happened.”
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On the question of which of the gifted houses he will live in, he replied with a smile: “I will rent those two out because I am not going to move out of my mum’s house.”
Having been raised by his grandmother because his mother was working in another village some distance away, Tebogo now lives with his older sister in the same neighbourhood as their aunt and uncle, whom they regularly visit.
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