"I have been working at it for a few years" - sprint sensation Sarah Reed excited to represent SA at the World U20 Champs

After announcing herself as one of South Africa's brightest young sprint prospects with a dominant display at the ASA U16, U18, U20 & U23 Track and Field Championships in Germiston in March, Sarah Reed is preparing for the biggest race of her career. The multiple national champion will head to the World Athletics U20 Championships in the United States next month, where she hopes to test herself against the world's best junior sprinters while continuing a journey that has been years in the making.

The Curro Hillcrest sprinter claimed the U18 girls' 100m title in Germiston before adding a sprint double at the South African Schools Athletics (SASA) champs at the Pilditch Athletics Stadium just over a month later. Reed believes those victories were reward for the countless hours of unseen hard work.

Sarah Reed leads one of the U18 girls' heats during the ASA Age Group track and field championships at Germiston Stadium as AGN's Isabella Gunther tries to keep pace. Photo: Hilton Kotze.

"I have been working at it for a few years now. I've always been making finals but wasn't at the top. This year everything just clicked. Those victories showed that the hard work is paying off, but there is still work to be done,” she told #TheTopRunner.

The 17-year-old 200m specialist who set a personal best 23.20 during the heats of those ASA Age Group Championships, credits her success to the support of her family, coaches Lux Gordhan and Chris White, and her faith. "When times get rough, I know I can always turn to the Lord.” 

Reed's athletics journey began at the age of 10 when she competed in cross-country races at school in KZN. While she enjoyed running through the forests surrounding the school, it was sprinting that truly captured her imagination.

Reed is awarded a trophy after winning the sprint double at the SASA Championships in Tshwane. Photo Credit: KZN Department of Education.

"The thrill of the track and running fast spoke to me, even though I wasn't the fastest at the time," she said. With guidance from Gordhan and White, Reed steadily developed into one of the country's leading junior sprinters. So selection to Athletics South Africa's preliminary squad for the World Athletics U20 Championships was a proud moment, even if it came as a slight surprise.

"It was the goal back in 2022 when I started training with Lux Gordhan. It means so much to compete against some of the best athletes in the world and continue learning from them on and off the track."

The Curro Hillcrest learner won the 200m at the Curro Podium Grand Finale in February in a time of 23.55. Photo Credit: Curro Sport.

Although she does not point to a single sporting hero, Reed hopes her own performances will inspire the next generation. The championships represent far more than another competition for Reed. They are an opportunity to measure herself against the world's elite, chase another personal best and move one step closer to her ultimate dream of representing South Africa at the Olympic Games.

"There are so many children with potential. If my running can inspire someone to be better, that's what keeps me going."