Star South Sudan Olympian inspires

Local youngsters vaulted over fences and sprinted out to the Broome Little Athletics’ free training session to meet 2016 South Sudan Olympic runner Manger Makur Chuot last Friday.

About 30 children, aged four to 15, turned out for the registration day and to meet the 26-year-old, 200m sprinting specialist on Friday at the Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre ovals.

Little Athletics president Vicki Cobby said inviting Chuot, who has trained in WA, before he competes at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics was a great learning opportunity for the children before Little Athletics launches on May 31.

“It was very good, the kids all were listening and they were involved in sprinting drills — learning how to run faster with the correct technique,” she said.

“They asked him a lot of questions as he was assisting today and he did a couple of demonstrations, he did help them practise their starts as well”.

The sprinter’s coach Lindsay Bunn, who runs the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Indigenous Program for Athletics Western Australia, and has previously travelled to the Kimberley over the past three years, was on hand to spread the message of elite coaching for disadvantaged youth.

Manger said while he had his mind set on running the 200m for the Olympics and African Games later in the year, and training for the 400m for 2017, there was always time to spread the athletics message.

“I see it as a dream come true,” he said.

“I’m well prepared for Rio with a firm goal and we are going for the fun of it — to do the best we can.

“If you have a gift in you, you should give it to kids that need it — it’s a good chance for them to learn the right techniques and ways of running”.