The weight of being Michael Seme's son took its toll on me - Sikhumbuzo Seme

Sikhumbuzo is the first-born child of Michael Seme, a renowned athletics coach, who discovered multi-Olympic 800m gold medallist Caster Semenya and one of the great marathon runners Stephen Mokoka.

However, despite this meaningful connection, people often ask Sikhumbuzo why he hasn’t been able to clinch victory in significant races.

The weight of comparison looms over Sikhumbuzo as he grapples with the pressure associated with his father’s esteem reputation. 

While his father’s expertise and guidance shape his approach to the sport, Sikhumbuzo must navigate his own path to success.  

“I derive immense knowledge from Coach Michael Seme, who treats me just like any other athlete. I don’t receive preferential treatment or special favours. However, the weight of being the son of a highly regarded coach occasionally takes its toll on me.  Growing up in a family immersed in athletics, my father’s coaching commitment has kept him busy, and our conversations at home revolve around family matters than sports. My ultimate goal is to win a big marathon and make him proud. People ask me why I haven’t become the best long-distance runner given my father’s esteemed coaching reputation,” said Sikhumbuzo.   

Sikhumbuzo, a runner hailing from Newcastle, is still coming to terms with the fact that he was the first Kwa-Zulu Natal participant to cross the finish line in the 2023 Comrades Marathon. This remarkable achievement has left him overwhelmed with joy. Surpassing all expectations, the ever-smiling 38-year-old made his fellow family at the Hollywood Athletics Club proud by securing 11th place in the challenging 87km down-run ultra-marathon two weeks ago.

The race took him from the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg to the Hollywood Kingsmead Stadium, with Seme completing it in an impressive time of 5 hours, 30 minutes, and 5 seconds. It was only his second appearance in the Ultimate Human Race, having debuted in the ultra-marathon in 2022 and finished in the 33rd position with a time of 6 hours and seven minutes.

In recognition of his exceptional performance representing the Purple Family, he was awarded a generous prize of R60 000 and the honour of becoming the first KZN runner to cross the finish line.

“This year, the plan was to improve my time of last year. My coach and father, Michael Seme, worked on a plan for me to run 4 minutes per kilo metre. I wanted to run my own race and not compete with anyone. I still cannot believe that I did it and almost got into the top ten. I thought I finished in 22nd position when someone from the crowd told me and become happy,” he said.  

He is the eldest among his three siblings, being the only boy in his family. From the young age of four, he embraced the passion for running, growing up in a family deeply connected to the sport. Following his matriculation at Jabulani Technical in Soweto, he wanted to attend the University of Vaal, where his father held the position of head coach. However, due to his academic performance failing short, he was unable to secure admission. He joined the security company ADT, where he spent two years before ultimately relocating to Pretoria. There, he reunited with his father and joined the renowned Sponge training group.

Seme works for the South African Police Services as a mechanical engineer and fixes cars there.

 “I had the privilege of witnessing my father’s coaching esteemed athletes such as Caster Semenya, Stephen Mokoka, and Gladwin Mzazi, and it brought me immense joy to be a part of their journey.  I perused a mechanical engineering qualification at a college in Pretoria, deepening my knowledge in the field. I challenged myself by participating in marathons like the Bestmed and Nelson Mandela, pushing my limits.  The turning point in my career arrived in 2017 when I won the Race of Cancer in Limpopo, completing a grueling 48km and earning a prize of R50 000. Another significant milestone was achieved when I ran my personal best time of two hours and 18 minutes at the Cape Town Marathon in 2021, shortly after joining the Esteemed Hollywood Athletics Club,” explained Seme.