Keaton Stansfeld, 22, has wings on his heels.
When this young man hits the tarmac, he flies. Mind you, over rocks, rivers, sand, track, trail, mountains and streams, he does the same.
Keaton was this year’s winner at The Discovery Surfers Challenge.
As is usually the case, I was working at the Gonubie River mouth with the marathon hosts, Buffalo City Surfing, to welcome and direct the challenge athletes to the ropes and river crossing.
Keaton was the first athlete to the river, remarkably well ahead, over in a flash and gone like a rocket.
I caught up with him earlier this week to find out more about him.
Keaton hails from Johannesburg. Perhaps he finds the air at the coast moist and thick and full of oxygen and energy?
He is a provincial athlete across an outrageous nine different sports. He is humble about it, too, and almost surprised that this writer thinks his achievements are fantastic.
Dad is an all-round athlete and encouraged son to have a crack at almost everything, including badminton (green and gold representation), athletics (he has run and competed at world cross country in Kenya), hockey (been on a school trip to Malaysia/Singapore), baseball (provincial) and swimming (provincial).
He has played provincial soccer, competing in Barcelona, Spain, and played provincial cricket.
I think he was about to tell me more but I was about to fall off my chair so he stopped.
Keaton related all of this without much fanfare as if his achievements are quite normal.
Both his dad and grandmother have represented South Africa at “everything” he tells me. Sports genes completely run in the family.
Don’t think for a moment that this means school and academic work takes a back seat. Mom, also an athlete, is a principal, so school work has never been allowed to suffer.
Since about the age of 10 Keaton has always known what he wants to do, but selection was impossible, so off he went to Tuks to study a degree for town and regional planning.
After his second year at varsity, his dream came through.
Keaton has always wanted to be an air traffic controller. He finally got accepted, dropped his degree and stepped into ATC.
Full qualification takes about 12 years. This young man is not frightened of a long haul. He is in for the long run.
Currently, Keaton is working for Air Traffic and Navigation Services as assistant to the tower at King Phalo Airport here in Buffalo City. It takes about three to five years to get into the tower.
Keaton is living his dream and still running while he is about it. Doors have a habit of opening for him, and blessing and favour seem to be in front of him, beside him and behind him.
His hero athlete is Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge for both his decades-long athleticism and incredible mindset.
Keaton is a very mindful young man. Three priorities he impressed upon me included:
1 Be a good person;
2 Be humble; and
3 Life is more important than any medal.
Keaton likes to put God first. He follows his faith at Gonubie Baptist Church while he is here, and then family, friends, coach, physio and sport psychologist are relationships that follow out of that.
If you don’t rule your mind, your mind will rule you
I asked Keaton what words he lives by or what quotable quotes keep him focused: “Effortless is a myth. It takes years of hard work and you have to embrace the hard work because there is no way around it.
“If you don’t rule your mind, your mind will rule you. Only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and emotions.”
Keaton has his eyes and heart set on the Olympics 2032. Possibly 5,000m or 10,000m. At the current rate of progress, I wonder if 2028 might even be a possibility?
I can’t help but think of Eric Liddell. “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure”.
It would appear God has made Keaton Stansfeld fast too.
Indeed, I shall feel His pleasure when I see this young champion in our country’s colours at the Olympics.
Run like the wind Keaton.
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