Known for his extraordinary achievements and prevailing despite the hurdles thrown his way, the 26-year-old athlete has more than enough energy left in his tank to run with Openview's mission. Together, Wayde and Openview aim to ensure that satellite television entertainment is free for all South Africans, despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
"Television has the power to bring the entire world to our living rooms, which is so important for inspiring our dreams and celebrating who we are," Wayde says, "Openview has such a wide variety of free channels that thrill, entertain and educate. I am excited to team up with them as they try to give free world-class entertainment to as many South Africans as possible – we’re going for gold."
The dreamer from Kraaifontein in Cape Town kicked off his athletic career in 2005 when he moved to Bloemfontein with his family. There he attended Grey College and later the University of Free State, where his talents were honed under the guidance of renowned athletics coach Ans Botha.
Wayde debuted his international career in 2010 at the World Junior Championships in Athletics, where he recorded a personal best in the 200m men's event. There was no doubt he was born to run. However, the next couple of years weren't without their ups and downs; winning an event on one day and then failing to make the finals the next. Frustration, heartbreak, triumph and relief became constant themes in camp Wayde.
However, being the epitome of hard work, Wayde continued to develop another strength - the 400m. 2013 marked the birth of South Africa's Champion as he started racking up the personal bests year after year. All of it culminated in that unforgettable moment at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he crushed the world record time by 0.15 of a second, bringing gold, hope and new dreams back to the shores of South Africa.
Openview and Wayde hope to build on this winning momentum as they roll out even more free television over the next few months.
