Sinesipho Dambile on the challenges of transitioning from a junior to a senior athlete

In 2022, fresh off his junior success, he made an immediate impact by stunning senior competitors to claim his first national title in Cape Town. However, his career has since faced setbacks due to injuries, inconsistent form, expectations, and coaching changes.

Now 22, Dambile has reunited with his former coach, Thabo Matebedi, and shares his journey of recovery and the difficulties of stepping up to the senior level with SABC Sport.

"The hardest thing that we always struggle with in South Africa, not many athletes are able to do the transition from juniors to seniors. It's always the hardest part and there are a lot of guys but I'm not gonna mention names that were great juniors but when they got to seniors were not performing at all,” Dambile said.

“It's just the transition becomes harder, the fact that I'm still standing and saying I'm gonna do it. Now it's also learning from the ups and downs that I've been through, especially me, I've always been struggling with injuries.

“If someone that has been struggling with injuries like Gift and went out for four years but still managed to perform in this, who am I to get an injury for a year and say I'm done?

“So, each and every time I get a challenge I try to get better each and every year, building up. So, it's things like working on your mental fitness more than anything. So, that's why I'm more confident than ever because the mental part is way sharper now than ever."

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Based on his observations and conversations with former junior champions who struggled after moving to the senior level, Dambile does not believe the issue lies with Athletics South Africa’s system, the transition process, or individual mental challenges. Instead, he attributes the problem to a lack of team support.

"For me with my experience I think it's a team thing, you can't do it by yourself, there's no way. Also, it cannot just be you and the coach, I've went through that route, it's one of the toughest routes ever and really investing in yourself more than anything,” he added.

“It's hard to be an athlete because you have a lot to deal with, food, having physios on a daily basis and sometimes we even train far. Like me, I train 20 minutes away from my house, travelling on a daily basis.

“So, I think having a team, creating a team, that's the best thing you can ever do as an athlete."