National Orders 2011.indd 1 4/21/11 2:00:52 PM - The Presidency

Mr Thugwane defeated an elite field in one of the Olympics’ most prestigious events to give South Africa an unexpected third gold
medal at the Games after swimming star Penny Heyns had won two in the pool.
Mr Thugwane’s victory was not the end of an Olympic dream; it was the start of a new journey. One of the first things that
Mr Thugwane did under the tutelage of Jacques Malan, his trainer, was to learn to read and write. It was important for him to express
himself in the media, so he learned to speak English.
In 1997, Mr Thugwane demonstrated that the gold medal was no fluke, finishing third in the London Marathon, and then later that
year lowering his best time in winning Fukuoka. A seventh place finish in the 2000 London Marathon and a sixth-place finish in the
New York City Marathon indicated that he was in top form. In 1997, he was also crowned as South Africa’s Sportsman of the Year.
But it is Mr Thugwane’s humility that has captured the hearts of many. In 1997, Josiah forfeited his spot in the world marathon
championships to give another runner the opportunity to compete internationally. He also spent some of his prize money from his
third-place London Marathon finish on buying running shoes to dispense to people in townships.
He suffered a number of injuries after the Olympics, but has proved since then that he remains a major contender in any marathon
he enters. He went to the Sydney Olympics, the third man ever in Olympic history to defend the marathon title. He now lives in
Johannesburg with his wife and four children.
Today Mr Thugwane is doing more than just competing. I’m starting now to help younger athletes in South Africa, he explained.
I help to train, to provide training shoes, and to coach. I myself am sponsored by Nike and Coca-Cola, but when I need shoes for
up-and-coming athletes, I buy the shoes myself – it’s no problem.
We are proud to honour Mr Josiah Thugwane with the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for his outstanding achievements on and off the
track and for promoting South Africa’s sporting prowess around the world.
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