UJ’s Maryke Brits is an up-and-coming long jumper who has enjoyed immediate success at the newly launched African Jumping Academy since returning home from a brief stint in the United States.
After matriculating, she received a bursary to study at the Florida State University which aided her growth and provided her with plenty of experience but returned home to be closer to her family.
“Going to the US straight out of school was an amazing experience. I learned so many things there and competing in the NCAA’s [National Collegiate Athletic Association] helped me increase my experience.
“But I missed home too much and wanted to be closer to my family. The ironic part of going overseas was that I wanted to compete in big tertiary events and, when I left, Varsity Athletics started. So since it started, I wanted to be a part of it and it is such a blessing to be able to partake in such a huge meeting,” she told varsitysportssa.com.
Upon her return to South Africa, she was immediately attracted to the academy at the Johannesburg institution and feels that the way it is run is in all probability the best Academy on the continent and is pretty similar to what she experienced in the US.
“The African Jumping Academy was the main attraction for me and I immediately knew I wanted to be part of it. Obviously, you can’t really compete with the way things are run in the US – with the NCAA’s – but this structure is pretty much up there and is the closest thing to the Collegiate structure.
“But I think it’s definitely the best on the continent. It is not just about the coaching you receive, there is also the extra advantages like the medical support you receive that sets this place a part from anything else in Africa,” she added.
The 21-year-old Forensic Psychology student has enjoyed immediate success after recently competing at a CGA (Central Gauteng Athletics) meeting which saw her leap to a personal best distance of 6.24 metres.
What made the leap even more rewarding was the fact that she had to undergo hip surgery in 2014 and had to work extra hard to get herself fit for the Varsity Athletics meeting.
“Jumping my personal best is a real confidence booster for me but I still have a lot of hard work ahead of me. When we reviewed my technique, we found a few areas where improvements are needed, so I am really looking forward to seeing how much further I can jump.
“For this event, I really want to jump at least 6.30 metres – which is the qualifying distance for the World Student Games – and I am just about there. However, this year I just want to remain injury free and improve my performances at every event,” she stated.
Brits will be participating in her first Varsity Athletics competition and stated that being at the launch of the event made her more excited after hearing the stories from her fellow athletes.
