From challenging beginnings to the summits of sport
While both Lyles and Tebogo now stand at the pinnacle of their sport, the mountains they climbed to arrive there have not been easy to traverse.
“I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression,” Lyles wrote last year on a post on X. “But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why not you!”
Tebogo’s own journey to the top saw him training without conventional athletics equipment, even going without new running shoes until he broke the national 100m record.
“I used to train without shoes,” he told NBC. “Shoes were more expensive and we couldn’t afford that because we lived with our extended family so it was difficult for us to get things.”
More recently, just months before the 2024 Olympics, Tebogo tragically lost his mother.
“The first few days or few weeks after my mum died were super-difficult for me because I thought it was the end of the world, the end of my career, the end of everything I have tried to accomplish,” Tebogo said as he opened up about his loss.
Even though the challenges for both athletes may have at times seemed insurmountable, their growth on the athletics track is a testament to their character as champions.
And while their personalities may seem as different as fire and ice, the burgeoning rivalry between them continues to be one of the most exciting and interesting duels in sport, as the battle for global sprint supremacy continues.