The national record, set by Janus Robberts with a distance of 21.97m in Eugene, USA, on 2 June 2001, has stood for more than two decades.

Smith’s personal best stands at 20.73m, and he believes that with focus and hard work, he can make history next season.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Smith said his main goal in the new season will be to chase the record.

"So my main goal next year is to break the South African record and the African record. I want to be the first South African to throw 23m.

"I have to lose my mind in this game and dedicate my life to it if I want to achieve my goals."

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Smith, who is pursuing a qualification in Business Financial Retail Management at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), said his father, Rudi Smith, is his biggest role model—even though his dad doesn’t fully understand the technicalities of the sport.

He draws inspiration and motivation from him as both a mentor and supporter.

"I don't really have a role model in shot put. I want to be my own guy and forge my own path, but my role model in life has to be my dad, even though he doesn't know a thing about shotput."

The 28-year-old has been involved in shot put for five years, starting in high school, and has worked with coach Stan Van Rooyen for the past three years.

Under Van Rooyen’s guidance, Smith has shown steady improvement with each competition and believes he is getting closer to achieving world-class distances.

Smith admits that shot put is an expensive discipline to maintain, particularly due to the dietary demands. He explained that his daily nutrition plan requires a large intake of food to help him build and sustain muscle strength for competition readiness.

The TUT student-athlete praised the university for its strong support system, which helps him balance his studies with his sporting commitments. Smith said TUT allows him flexibility to catch up on coursework whenever he travels for competitions locally and internationally.

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