Marlon Kayster’s rapid rise puts South African athletics in the fast lane.
Every year, South Africa observes Youth Day in June, providing an opportunity to highlight how access to education, support and opportunity can help young people realise their potential.
Seventeen-year-old Marlon Kayster, a Grade 11 learner from the farming community of Porterville, has emerged as a standout example after recording a 100m sprint time of 10.31 seconds, making him the fastest under-18 sprinter in South Africa and currently the fastest young man in the world for his age group.
The performance has secured him selection for the World Wide Scholarships (WWS) Western Cape Schools Athletics Tour, where he will compete in Italy and Sweden during June and July. He will also represent South Africa at the under-20 AAU Junior Olympic Games in the United States in August.
Marlon is backed by the KAL Trust, an employee benefit programme of the KAL Group, a JSE-listed diversified agri, fuel and lifestyle retailer. Through the Trust, he has been able to access schooling, accommodation and sporting essentials that have helped him pursue both his academic and athletic ambitions.
