'The whole season was a blessing' - Top Race Walker Marissa Swanepoel reflects on 2024 and shares ambitions for 2025
After an injury cost her the entire 2023 season, national women's 20km race walking champion Marissa Swanepoel bounced back last year with her most successful season to date. With the ghosts of her terrible 2023 (her first as a senior athlete) behind her, 22-year-old Swanepoel won her first senior title when she triumphed in the women's 20km race walk in a personal best 1:43:01 at the ASA Championships which took place at the Youngsfield Military Base in Cape Town.
That gold was followed by two more; one in the 10 000m walk at the University Sports South Africa (USSA) championships and another in the national U23 women's 10 000m race. She concluded the year with another national title at the race walking interprovincial relay championships in Pretoria in November, where she and Wayne Snyman clinched the marathon mixed relay gold in 3:22:01.
"I'm extremely happy with season I had. It was one of my most successful seasons. I was very unsure about the 2024 season. I was injured in 2023 and it cost me the entire season. I missed the nationals that year and couldn't train for about eight months. I'm extremely proud of my achievements," she told #TheTopRunner.
"The whole season was a blessing. The moment I won the senior title with a big PB will be one of the highlights of my career because of my injury in 2023. The second highlight is my mixed relay with Wayne, who is my idol. Never did I think I would go and win a race and break a national record with my idol," she said.
After those two national events in March, the Athletics Central North West rising star represented SA at the World Athletics Race Walk team championships in Turkey in April before going on to compete at the CAA champs in Cameroon in June where she took fifth position in 1:46:25.
"I didn't achieve the results I wanted at the worlds but compared to the 2021 worlds, I've come a long way. The conditions at the CAA's were tough. I'm happy with my position there. It's another improvement on the previous African champs. I'm always grateful to represent my country. Good days give happiness. Bad days give experience," said the North West University student.
None of this would have been possible had it not been for the support of her coach, legendary race walker and multiple national record holder Carl Meyer. With Meyer in her corner, Swanepoel wants to represent the country again this season while walking faster than she ever has before.
"He's been my coach since 2018. He's not just a coach but a mentor and someone I really trust. He's definitely one of the biggest reasons for my success. I want to see if I can qualify for the World Student Games. I will also be aiming for other national records that my coach's previous athletes hold."
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