Athletes representing the Cape metropole’s northern suburbs school district dominated last week’s Western Province primary schools’ athletics championships, at Dal Josafat Stadium in Paarl.
Lamicah Adamson, 12, a promising sprinter and a Grade 6 pupil at Curro Durbanville Primary School was among the top performers, clinching gold in the girls’ under-12 150m and 100m sprints as well as in the long jump event.
The lanky teen stood head and shoulders above her rivals, breaking three records along the way and also helped her team win gold in the girls’ under-12 4x100m relay.
The current national 80m and 100m champion, Lamicah caught the eye of track and field fans across the country in a viral video captured at last year’s primary schools’ national championships in Pietermaritzburg, where she clinched the SA title in the under-11 division.
While crossing the finish line first may seem easy for someone with her natural-born speed, winning is not all it’s cracked up to be, says Lamicah, who remembers all too well finishing sixth in her first appearance at the nationals, in Potchefstroom in 2022, in the 100m sprints.
“I was very sad and told myself I will train harder everyday,” said Lamicah, the youngest of three children.
Lamica, who transferred from Mitchell’s Plain’s Parkhurst Primary School at the beginning of the school year, says she settled in nicely at Curro and is happy to represent the north.
A member of coach Paul Jacobus’ Elite Athletes Sprints and Hurdles Academy, Lamicah and other qualifying athletes are now gearing up for this weekend’s Western Cape championships, in Paarl, where they will compete for a spot at the upcoming national championships due to be held at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Limpopo towards the end of the month.
Jacobs established his academy in 2012 and has worked with athletes from various schools, including Lamicah, whom he first met while working as a physical education teacher at Parkhurst, before relocating to the northern suburbs.
“I am a firm believer in youth development. I understand the challenges that these kids are facing in this generation,” he said, adding that coaching girls comes with its own set of challenges, something many coaches across the country grapple with.
“I am fortunate to have one of the greatest mentors in my life, coach Hennie Kriel who guides me step-by-step on how to manage female athletes and how to develop them correctly,” he said, referring to the celebrated coach considered one of South Africa’s finest.
He said it’s important to have systems in place to ensure longevity for Lamicah and other young athletes.
“A proper support structure will keep this young champ in the sport for a long time,” he said.
“Parents and coaches must have an open mindset, it’s not just training, it’s things behind the scenes that counts the most,” he said.
“As a young athlete it’s important to have fun on the track. Don’t be hard on yourself, always believe in yourself and always try to better yourself on and off the training grounds,” he said.
While most of the athletes who performed well at last week’s championships, a large contingent are members of Jacobs Elite Athletes Academy. With more than 40 athletes in his care, Jacobus has his hands full and is understandably thankful for Mariné Franken’s help with general administration duties and making sure the youngsters’ needs are seen to on and off the track.
“A portion of our athletes are under 10 years old and currently in the foundational phase of their training, not yet engaged in provincial-level competition,” Franken said.
“Most of them are frequent faces on the podiums at various school competitions. We are eagerly anticipating the upcoming season when these growing athletes will have the opportunity to showcase their skills at the provincial level,” she said.
“We are fortunate to have numerous exceptional athletes who are part of our Elite Athletes family. We take great pride in announcing that 15 of our athletes were honoured with WP colours and collectively earned an impressive total of 28 medals during the WP Championships. Notably, among these achievements, several secured gold medals,” she said.
Like Jacobs, Franken believes having fun is as important, if not more, than training and competing.
“School athletics has changed a lot over time. Nowadays, there’s more focus on training and competing from a young age. It’s not just about having fun anymore – there’s a bigger emphasis on winning and reaching certain goals. Coaches and teachers use new technology and sports science to help students improve. Overall, while school sports are still fun, they’ve become more serious and organised than before,” she said.
