Udeme Okon is reserved and quiet-spoken in public, but he’s not shy to share one of his major athletic ambitions — breaking Wayde van Niekerk’s 400m world record.
The grade 11 pupil at Florida Park High School on the West Rand, who turned 19 on Tuesday, dominated the one-lap race at the under-20 world championships in Lima, taking gold in the individual event and silver in the 4x400m relay.
On his return this week Okon spoke about the pride he felt being celebrated on social media. Even Van Niekerk, whom he has never met, sent him a video message before his 400m final. “It drove me even more to make sure I get that gold medal.
“I can say definitely this moment to see South Africans, people that I don’t even know, acknowledge me [is my proudest moment].”
But there was also a handful of critics questioning his nationality because of his surname.
Okon and his three siblings, who include SuperSport United player Ime, were born in Johannesburg. South African mom Maria Mautlwa went to work after their father, Nigerian wrestler Bullet, who achieved fame as Thundergod on the Thunder Strike wrestling show on SABC in the mid-2000s, died of kidney failure in 2009.
Udeme was four at the time. “I remember the moment. It was something that I didn’t understand until I grew up … initially I thought that he just moved somewhere.”
Okon ascribes his own success to his mother, who works as a domestic worker at a law firm. “She’s definitely my superhero because she raised four kids. We didn’t have [anything]. She’s always provided for us, was always there for us and always tried to provide if we needed something for sports.”
Sister Esther, at 24 the oldest, says they never experienced xenophobia growing up — until Udeme and Ime achieved their sporting success.
“We’re facing it now since both brothers are in the spotlight,” said the teacher assistant who is studying B Education through Unisa. “That’s when hate comments started on social media.”
Close your eyes and listen to Udeme speak and he sounds like the regular Joburg teen he is, though he’s no ordinary South African — he possesses the attributes to go all the way.
He ran his first 400m race only early this year, clocking 48.17sec, and in his third outing he hit 45.41.
Van Niekerk, at the age of 20, dipped under 46 for the first time in his fourth 400m and Lythe Pillay, the under-20 world champion before Okon, did it in his fifth season, though he started at a far younger age.
“It’s basically unheard of that you have an athlete that’s been competing and training for a year, not only to become world champ, but also to run a 45,” said coach Lyle Wentzel, who first spotted Okon at a school track-and-field meet about a year ago.
He had noticed him in the 100m. “Something in me knew that this kid has something special. And when he ran the 200 [later in the meet] I was like ‘let me go talk to this boy, let me see if he has a coach, because this guy has talent’.”
Okon, who took up athletics in primary school, joined Wentzel’s training group at the University of Johannesburg.
The coach quickly realised his race pattern suited the one-lap race.
At 1.84m and weighing 70kg, Okon has a long stride that seems perfect for the 400m, although he could also become a force in the 200m (his 10.34sec 100m personal best isn’t bad either).
Wentzel believes Okon, who needs to run 44.85sec to qualify automatically for next year’s senior world championships in Tokyo, is on track to break Van Niekerk’s 43.03 mark one day. “That world record is going.”
Okon’s potential has been noticed abroad with US universities already making approaches. “I definitely do see myself studying in South Africa. I’ve got offers … from the US, [but] I’m looking to stay here,” said Okon, who enjoys listening to golden oldie music, with jazz and kwaito among his favourite genres.
He’s not yet sure what he’ll study, though Mautlwa thought he would become a lawyer. “He’s very clean. When he dresses up he looks like an advocate.”
Fashion is his thing, added Esther, saying: “He’s very opinionated, he loves debating.”
And he loves winning.
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