Talk:Matthews Motshwarateu

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BACKGROUND OF MATTHEWS MOTSHWARATEU

He died at the age of 43. He was an exceptional athlete with a unique (eienaardige) running style. He beat the champion of the 5000m race, Ewald Bonzet in the Coetzenburg stadium, Stellenbosch, in 1978. He later returned to the stadium to break Bonzet's 10 000m record in 1979. He was offered an athletic scholarship at the University of Texas in 1980, In the same year, Matthews broke the record of a 10km NYC Street Race (completed in 28min, faster by 24sec).

He came back to South Africa when his athletic career was finished. He struggled to find work and landed up being a second-hand car dealer where he struggled to provide for his family (a wife and four children).

A poem was written about him by Louis Esterhuizen, called Loop en Val, in November 17, 2016:

Loop en Val

Wie sou ooit kon dink datdit só sou wees? Jy wat sóveel rondtes om diebaan triomfantlik kon loop enval ongemaklik, diekomiek van totale toewyding — Wiesou ooit die afloop van jou laaste wedloop sóvoorsien? Jy wat eens die rekords enmedaljes amper na willekeur kon verwerf: Neergeskiet inMolape onderweg na huis wie het kon dink

op drie-en-veertig sou jy met vier koeëls injou lyf roemloos oor die wenstreep val

hulpwaarts kruip

Line by Line Translation of the poem:

Wie sou ooit kon dink dat dit só sou wees? Jy wat sóveel rondtes om die baan triomfantlik kon loop en val ongemaklik, die komiek van totale toewyding- Wie sou ooit die afloop van jou laaste wedloop só voorsien? Jy wat eens die rekords en medaljes amper na willekeur kon verwerf: Neergeskiet in Molape onderweg na huis wie het kon dink

op drie-en-veertig sou jy met vier koeëls in jou lyf roemloos oor die wenstreep val

hulpwaarts kruip

English translation of the poem:

Who would have thought that it would have to be this way? You who runs so many laps around the track, in the lane, can run, and fall? Uncomfortable, the comic of total commitmen. Who would have thought that it would be your last race? You who has the records and the medals, who won them so easily, it could be random: Shot down in Molape on the way home.

who would've guessed that at the age of 43 you would, with 4 standard bullets in your body, without fame fall across the finish line helplessly crawl