South Africa’s Shot-Put and Discus prodigy Miné de Klerk’s 2024 has been on one massive ride, from earning a place as part of Team South Africa in her maiden Olympic Games in Paris to winning an award on the gsport stage.
De Klerk was victorious at #gsport19 in the Emerging Athlete of the Year category, beating off stiff competition from Jessica Thompson as well as Nadine de Klerk. She was unable to attend the glittering ceremony but cherishes the recognition:
“I was very grateful that I was nominated, and then won the award. I was very honoured to have been nominated for that award and being recognised on the big stage along with some very talented girls.”
#gsport19 in the Emerging Athlete of the Year, Miné de Klerk
After making her Olympic debut she says despite the results not going her way, Paris was like a dream.
“I am still happy to represent South Africa at his high level. I’m so proud of myself. I mean, competing in a stadium like this, wow.”
Before that she secured a silver medal at the 23rd African Championships in Athletics that was held in Douala, Cameroon, in June earlier this year.
Forever shattering the glass ceiling, in 2022 she was part of the five nominees for the 2022 Women’s Rising Star Award, at World Athletics Awards, a feat that underlines the name she’s built for herself through hard work, dedication and commitment to her craft at a very young age.
“It was special to see that my hard work and dedication was seen by the world,” she adds. The awards are aimed at acknowledging the year’s best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards, this in 2022.
Born in Welkom, Miné takes us back to where it all started.
“I started doing these events when I was 9 years old, and I have loved it ever since. I cannot really explain the love I have for these events but I do know that I don’t want to stop.”
De Klerk began her collegiate career at the University of Oregon, where she spent her first two years competing on their track and field team from 2022-2023.
However, she’s since moved to the University of Nebraska; “Being in the States offers me a lot more opportunities to compete among the best of the best. It prepares me for more stressful competitions and the future.”
At a tender age, the South African has been competing and excelling on major stages but that doesn’t seem to be a struggle for her. It looks like she thrives under pressure.
“Normally I just pray and have fun! That is the most important part of sport.”
Despite being many kilometres away, Miné has excelled and represented herself, her family and of course the country with grace and resilience. She does however add that she misses a few things about South Africa: “I miss the people, food, and weather.”
With so much accomplished before even hitting age 25, her big goal for the future is very simple.
“I want to win a gold medal at the Olympics one day.”
We look forward to seeing this sensation shine for Team SA, in all the tournaments she’s yet to partake in. We are also certain she’ll be there at the next Olympic Games hosted in her new “own backyard” in the United States.
Photo Caption: Miné de Klerk, an elite youth track and field athlete specialising in shot put and discus, talks to gsport after scooping the Emerging Athlete of the Year Award on the gsport stage, on 12 September, 2024. Photo: Supplied
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