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South African 5km champion Nicolas Seoposengwe is hoping his relocation to Gqeberha and association with Inkhamva Athletics Club, will breathe new life into his career.
Having recently turned 23, Seoposengwe already moved from Zoo Lake training group to Masail Athletics Club in Tshwane, and now finds himself in the Friendly City.
Amidst a challenging phase in his career, the promising road runner is determined to reclaim his stride and soar to new heights under his new training environment, led by Athletics South Africa Coach of the Year Mike Mbambani.
"I arrived here in November last year, and that's when I decided to just move here from Pretoria because I was with Violet [Semenya] for quite some time – around two months or so," explained Seoposengwe.
"So I just decided Pretoria is not a good environment for me, when it comes to discipline and stuff, so I just came to a conclusion that I should come down to PE and try it out."
Seoposengwe takes inspiration from his training partner Thabang Mosiako, who revitalised his struggling career in Gqeberha three years ago and ascended to SA half-marathon champion under the guidance of Mbambani.
"Thabang is basically like a big brother to me. We do chat about [our personal issues] and he was more-or-less in the same situation as me," he added.
"So every time we talk about how we can overcome those types of challenges, and he's one of the guys who's there for me – mentally, physically and spiritually, so he's really like a brother to me."
Last year, Seoposengwe clinched victory in the inaugural Athletics South Africa (ASA) 5km Championships in Johannesburg, which saw him go on to represent his nation at the World 5km Championships in Latvia.
However, personal challenges affected his performance, and he is now on a mission to rediscover his old form in Gqeberha.
"I'm really getting back into my form of last year, so I think really big things are coming. Definitely the 5km is one of the titles I'm hoping to defend at the next ASA championships," he concluded.
