Athlete Mathews Motshwareteu enters the annals of the country’s athletics history after only five weeks of track athletics

Mathews Motshwareteu was born on 2 November 1958 in Soweto, Johannesburg. His talent for athletics became apparent in his primary school years, which he spent at Isaacson Primary, Soweto. He had a peculiar way of running that made it look like he was about to fall over at any moment, leading to him later being known by the nick name “Loop-en-Val,” meaning walk-and fall  He matriculated at Seana-Marena High School, and then started running for the East Rand Propriety Mines.  On 15 April 1978, Motshwareteu entered the annals of South African athletics when he broke the national 5 000m record at the Coetzenburg Stadium in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. He remained one of the country’s greatest middle- and long-distance runners until a hamstring injury at the age of 40 hampered his career.  No longer able to run, he later found work as a second hand car dealer. He died in 2002 when he was shot in a robbery.