TRINITONIAN 14 July 2019

ALUMNUS
– just 5cm behind the winner. I started the season off
with a strained hamstring and only just qualified for
the SA National Championships. A week before the
competition my hamstring felt better after repetitive
rehab and I was ready to go. The atmosphere of
the crowd was out of this world, and my coach and
I knew that this was the day for something special.
My ultimate goal is to reach the 8m mark and to
start competing in European athletic leagues and
competitions. Hopefully, I end up at the Olympics!
Luke is also an adrenaline
junky and loves water and
adventure sports.
Luke has travelled the
country competing in
athletics events.
But the long jump isn’t your only focus in the
sporting arena, is it?
Karate has taught me so many important aspects of
life and it has helped me tremendously in my athletics
and academic career by teaching me values and ethics,
when to be tough and when to be kind, and, most
importantly, that anything is possible with a positive
mindset. One of my biggest achievement at school was
winning the SA U10 Karate Championships, followed by
a gold at the All Africa All Styles Karate Championships
and finally receiving my Senior Black Belt in Karate
in 2017 at the age of 17. Twelve years of sweat and
tears led me to reach this goal, and every day I thank
my family and instructors for pushing me through the
difficult times. Fishing is also a big thing in my life and I
managed to get my SA Rock and Surf (RASSPL) colours
in 2017.
Glenwood House and Trinityhouse have some
impressive aspiring athletes looking to achieve.
Do you have any advice for them?
The best advice I can give to upcoming athletes
is never judge your performance or who you are
competing against – you know who you are and what
you are capable of. Stay focused and committed, put
everything into it, and all the rest will follow.
What are the three main attributes one must have to
succeed in today’s world?
My dad taught us three very important things in life
from an early age – being savvy, maintaining balance
and to always be “the reasonable man”. Being savvy
is looking at situations and seeing the big picture,
rather than being caught up in a box or getting stuck
on tiny details. Balance is weighing the importance
of events and situations in life and ensuring that you
don’t waste time and effort on small things that have
no impact on your life. Being “the reasonable man” is
taking any situation and changing it to benefit not only
yourself but everyone around you. It’s about constantly
With his eye on the prize, Luke has far to go in both athletics
and life.
asking yourself whether your actions are those of “the
reasonable man”. If you apply these simple principles,
life is actually a breeze.
What were you like at school?
I really enjoyed school and only realised once I enrolled
at university what the value of a good education is. I
struggled a bit with Science and Maths at school but
with perseverance and a few extra lessons I was able
to qualify for university. I did, at times, get into a bit
of trouble for being mischievous but can now really
appreciate the patience of all my teachers in these
moments.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
I have many role models that I look up to. On the
whole, I look up to my dad for being the “not so hard
working” but clever person he is (he says he prefers
to work with his head, not his hands), and I look up
to my mom for the love and support she gives us all
unconditionally. In athletics, I look up to the long jump
world champ, Luvo Manyonga, who has shown the
world that no matter how hard you fall in life, there are
always ways of picking yourself up again. And lastly, my
dear brother Kyle, a Grade 9 pupil at Glenwood House,
is my best friend and the kindest, most savvy and
reasonable man I know!
The Trinitonian | 23