Nelson Mandela Bay track sensation Cayla Seddon began her final preparations for Botswana in the best possible fashion when she claimed two silver medals at an international athletics meeting in Spain at the weekend.
Racing at the XXVI International Meeting of Athletics held in Palafrugell, Spain, on Saturday, Seddon claimed silver in the 200m and 400m events with times of 24.54 and 56.70 respectively.
“The experience was amazing. It was something new to get used to,” she said.
“The starting orders are in a different language and it was something I did not think about before the race.
“But to be part of this competition was great and I can take so much away from [it].”
Seddon, whose season is drawing to a close, said the meeting along with two others would form part of her final four events of the season.
Seddon, who will also race in Germany on June 3 before heading to Switzerland on June 9, will be using these competitions to fine-tune her skills ahead of the Confederation of University and Colleges Sports Associations (CUCSA) Games to be held in Botswana from June 18 to 22.
Having had a decent season on track where she managed personal best times in both the 200m (23.97) and 400m (54.61) events, she was selected for the South African team travelling to Botswana, another first for her.
“I was so excited when I found out I was selected. I am grateful for this opportunity to represent my country at such a prestigious event.
“It’s great to know the hard work I have been putting into my training is being recognised.
“I am in the best shape of my life and I will be going out there with the same mentality as I do in all my races – to run my best race and not worry about the people I am competing against.”The CUCSA Games will feature the cream of the university athletics crop from 10 nations who have not had the opportunity to compete at the World Student Games.
Seddon will take to the track in her favoured 200m and 400m events at this meeting.
She expects to compete against some tough opposition but is confident she can come out on the right side of the results when it matters.
“I feel at this stage in my career I need the international exposure to grow as an athlete and I am feeling positive about competing internationally as I know I can learn a lot from the experience,” she said.
Training under the guidance of seasoned athletics coach Thobela Thoba, Seddon believes in his processes and said she had grown tremendously over the past year.
“I have competed alongside some of the best athletes in the country including Caster Semenya and Justine Palframan, to name but a few. So I would say I have seen a lot of growth but, as with all sporting endeavours, there is always room for improvement,” she said.
Seddon will now shift her focus to the competition in Germany this weekend as she continues to get into the zone for the Games towards the back end of next month.
She said the most important thing for her going into the Games was not necessarily podium positions but rather putting in solid performances on the track.