"I Nearly Didn’t Make It": Bayanda Walaza on How a Scholarship Changed His Life
- Bayanda Walaza, the world’s fastest teenage sprinter, almost lost his chance at success due to financial barriers
- A scholarship from the Ruta Sechaba Foundation enabled him to attend Curro Hazeldean and dramatically improve his athletic and academic performance
- Walaza recently won 100m gold at the FISU World University Games and is now leading a campaign to help other talented young athletes reach their dreams
Rising South African sprinter Bayanda Walaza has captured global attention after becoming the world’s fastest university student, but he says he nearly didn’t make it.
Source: Getty Images
The 19-year-old, who recently clinched gold in the 100m at the FISU World University Games in Germany, says a scholarship from the Ruta Sechaba Foundation changed the course of his life.
“I truly felt afraid of losing my future,” said Walaza, reflecting on a time when he thought his dreams might be out of reach due to financial constraints.
Before joining Curro Hazeldean in Pretoria for his matric year in 2024, Walaza struggled with uncertainty about his future. He recalled overhearing a conversation about school fees and feeling helpless.
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“It hit me that no matter how hard I worked, without support I might not make it,” he said.
His fortunes turned when he received a scholarship from the Ruta Sechaba Foundation, an organisation that has awarded more than 3,000 bursaries to academically and athletically gifted learners since 2016.
Within weeks of training under coach Thabo Matebedi at Curro, Walaza slashed his personal bests in the 100m and 200m, and went on to win gold at the SA Under-20 Championships.
By August, Walaza had earned an Olympic silver medal as part of South Africa’s 4x100m relay team in Paris. In May this year, he clocked a personal best of 9.94 seconds in the 100m, just 0.12 seconds shy of Akani Simbine’s national record.
Now combining athletics with supply chain management studies at Tshwane University of Technology, Walaza is giving back by fronting the foundation’s ‘I Funded A Future’ campaign.
“The scholarship gave me confidence. It showed me that people believed in my potential, even when I didn’t fully believe in it myself,” Walaza says.
“I went from surviving to dreaming big.”
Source: Getty Images
Raised in a backyard shack in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, Walaza once believed that a “world-class education” was for other people, something distant, seen only on television. When he was awarded the scholarship, disbelief was his first reaction.
“I thought it might be a mistake. But then it sank in, and I felt this wave of gratitude. I told my mother immediately. We hugged for a long time. I could see in her eyes that she knew life would be different now," he admits.
Now an advocate for opportunity, Walaza believes that talent is not exclusive to certain places.
“Someone’s potential shouldn’t be determined by their background. Talent lives in every school, every street, every home. All it needs is a chance," he says.
That truth struck him deeply during a return visit to his old primary school in Katlehong.
“A young boy told me, ‘I want to run like you one day.’ That moment hit me hard. I realised I’m not just running for myself. I’m running for everyone who’s ever been told their dreams are too big," he says.
To those who question the impact of giving, Walaza offers a powerful reflection:
“I am the difference your contribution made. Even the smallest act of giving can change the entire direction of a young person’s life. I nearly didn’t make it, but I was given a chance, and I ran with it. Literally and figuratively.”
How much Simbine earned after beating Omanyala
Briefly News previously reported that South African sprint star Akani Simbine walked away with a huge sum of money after clocking a world-leading time of 9.90 seconds to defeat African champion Ferdinand Omanyala at the Botswana Continental Tour.
Simbine’s blistering performance marked the fastest 100m time globally so far this year, surpassing Bayanda Walaza’s 9.99s set last month.
Source: Briefly News
