Racewalker Wayne Snyman retired after the last time he went to Tokyo — for the Olympics in 2021 — but on Wednesday he flew out again for Japan, this time for the world championships.
The Durban-based schoolteacher’s latest sojourn wasn’t planned, becoming a possibility only about three months ago when he realised he was high enough on the world rankings to crack an invitation.
“It is a surprise going to Tokyo because it was never planned,” said Snyman, who at 40 is the oldest competitor in the SA team.
“The past nine weeks I started realising — I was fit, I was always training — and then I got in contact with Athletics SA and they started telling me a few weeks ago that I was good.”
Snyman qualified 43rd out of a maximum of 50 entrants because of his world ranking, even though his most recent international race was more than a year ago at the 2024 African championships in Cameroon, where he won bronze.
I’m always going to be training. I love training and staying fit. I’ve just been training differently. I’ve been running, rowing, cycling and trail running, which has become a huge part of my regimen.
— Wayne Snyman
“I had to do sharpening up a bit. That’s why I started racing locally because flying internationally with a baby is almost impossible, so I had to keep myself fit,” said Snyman, whose wife gave birth to a daughter, their second child, earlier this year.
Snyman officially retired after the Tokyo Games in 2021, but then had an opportunity to race the 20km and 35km races at the 2022 world championships in Eugene, Oregon, where he finished 12th and 20th respectively.
He retired a second time, moving to the coast after accepting a position at Curro Hillcrest, where he is head of the maths department and teaches science to the grade 6 pupils.
But Snyman was back at the 2023 world championships in Budapest, improving to 21st in the 35km.
Two years later and he’s back at it again.
“I always stay fit, I always train, I’m always busy, so [it was] retirement more in the sense of travelling,” he said.
“I’m always going to be training. I love training and staying fit. I’ve just been training differently. I’ve been running, rowing, cycling and trail running, which has become a huge part of my regimen.
“It is lovely for me to stay active, and then my son is seven, he is active, so for me to keep up with him….”
Aiming for future competitions isn’t on the horizon, Snyman said, though he did qualify that, saying: “If I get a call-up, awesome. I’m not going to be gunning for any big teams.
“But next year racewalking distances change, so … I want to race a 21km and see what I can do. Why not?”
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