This Mitchells Plain teen is a globe trotter with a dream of gold.
Tamzin Thomas, 18, is jetting off to the World Junior Championships in Poland next week, where she is hoping to beat her personal best times, and everyone else’s.
Tamzin, from Eastridge, is one of South Africa’s top sprinters.
The teen was part of the South African woman’s 4x100m relay team who won gold at the CAA African Senior Track and Field Championships in Durban last month.
She is also the South African and African 100m junior female champ.
Her best times are 11.55 seconds for the 100m and 23.35 seconds for the 200m.
Compared to reigning Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s times - 10.70s for 100m and 22.09s for 200m - young Tamzin is not far off conquering the world in a few years’ time.
The shy meisie tells Daily Voice: “The Durban games was a highlight of the season for me thus far, it was such a privilege running with senior athletes and myself being the youngest. I was nervous at first as everything was so spontaneous, we’ve never practised together but we made it and got gold.”
This blitsbokkie has been kicking dust in the eyes of her competition since she was at primary school, and has been travelling the world since 2012, but she says there’s no place like home.
“I love meeting people from other countries, it’s a diverse place outside in the world but South Africa still remains the best,” Tamzin adds.
Her coach since 2012, Paul Gorries, a former sprint champ himself, praises Tamzin for her hard work and dedication.
Paul says he is not going to put pressure on his star athlete for the World Junior Champs next week, he just wants her to enjoy herself.
“Tamzin has a good head on her shoulders, she has a good chance of a medal but the competition is strong out there, USA and Trinidad being the main competitors. She just has to enjoy herself out on the track,” says Paul.
Tamzin and twin sister, Tamlyn, who plays volleyball for the University of the Western Cape, are both studying for their degrees in Economic Development.
Tamlyn says they try to attend each other’s competitions whenever they can, what with their busy schedules.
Smiling at her sis, the teen says: “Tamzin is such a humble person, a late sleeper too. I’m so proud of her, people look up to her and she’s an inspiration to me.
“She was inspired by me first, as I ran track, but now I’m inspired by her.”