Wayde van Niekerk

Every success story started with a dream; so is the life story of the Olympian record-holder Wayde van Niekerk, who calls himself a dreamer.

Wayde van Niekerk is a South African athlete: track and field athlete who competes in the 200 and 400 meters race. Moreover, he is also the first South African world sprint champion.

With several prestigious titles, the athlete has brought immense joy and pride to his country. However, even after the heights of success he has attained, he doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon.

Wayde is the current Olympian and world record holder for 400 meters and the world’s best time-holder for 300 meters. Moreover, the athlete is also the 2-times gold medalist for African Championship and 1-time silver medalist for World Championship.

As a world-class athlete, his fans are constantly updated about his accomplishments and successful endeavors, so it is liable for us to think that not many of his fans may know his personal life and family.

Hence, here we bring you some interesting and unknown facts about the athlete.

Wayde van Niekerk: Quick Facts

Full Name Wayde van Niekerk
Common Name Wayde van Niekerk
Birthdate 15 July 1992
Age 29 Years Old
Religion Christian
Mother’s Name Odessa Swarts
Father’s Name Wayne van Niekerk
Siblings a brother, and a sister
Birthplace Kraaifontein, Western Cape, South Africa
Home Town Kraaifontein
Citizenship South African
Residence Bloemfontein, South Africa
School Bellville Primary, Simonberg Primary
College The University of Free State
Education Bachelors in Marketing
Height 183 cm (6 feet)
Weight 70 kg (154 lb)
Eye Colour Black
Hair Colour Black
Martial Status Married
Partner Chesney Van Niekerk née Campbell
Married  October 29, 2017
Children Expecting
Sport Track and Field, Event- Sprints
Debut 2010 World Junior Championships (International)
Olympics Wins 1 Gold
World Championships 2 Gold
Status Active
Current Club South Africa, Adidas
Current Coach Lance Brauman
Past Coach Tannie Anna Botha
Hobbies Travelling, Sports
Net Worth $3 million
Affiliated Brands Adidas, Richard Mille, Audi
Social Media Instagram, Facebook, Twitter
Website www.waydevanniekerk.com
Merch Road to Glory
Last-Update July, 2022

Wayde van Niekerk: Early Life and Family

The age of Wayde van Niekerk is 29. On July 15th, he celebrates his birthday.

Odessa Swarts and Wayne van Niekerk gave birth to the athlete, but it was not a simple process. At 29 weeks gestation, Wayde was born early and weighed only 1.9 kg.

Odessa recalled the doctors informing her that because the newborn child was only skin and bones, he wouldn’t survive. However, Wayde was a warrior from birth, and he overcame it to go on to write history.

After that, he spent 12 years of his formative years in Cape Town before moving with his mother to Bloemfontein as a result of his parents’ split. Then, Steven Swarts was remarried by his mother.

Wayde had always been athletic growing up because of his exceptional genetics. His mother and father were were outstanding athletes in their youth.

His father played rugby and high jump, and he was also a sprinter. Similar like his mother, who ran and jumped high before having to stop due to pregnancy.

Additionally, he is distantly related to Cheslin Kolbe, a well-known rugby league player from South Africa. Alnisha van Niekerk, his godmother and aunt, was a high jumper as well.

Education, Wayde van Niekerk

Wayde van Niekerk, a resident of Cape Town, attended Simonsberg Primary School, where he first began to use his exceptional athletic prowess.

In addition to playing rugby with his cousin, he had participated in his first race. The teacher used to give the two outstanding players pocket money for each try they scored when they played for the same team.

He relocated to Bloemfontein when his parents divorced and attended Bellville Primary school there. Later, he received a scholarship offer from the esteemed Grey College High School in recognition of his outstanding athletic ability.

The next year, in 2012, Wayde enrolled at the University of Free State, when he ran into Tannie Anna Botha, his former coach.

She played a significant role in Wayde’s decision to focus on the one lap sprint, as he had previously intended to be a high jumper and had only participated in 100m-200m races. He started sprinting 400 meters after joining Tannie Anna Botha.

His former coach was an athletics coach in her mid-seventies better known as Ans Botha. She was the one who provided Wayde with the tenacious training and motivation that helped him advance his career.

Speaking of his education, Wayde van Niekerk graduated from the university with a marketing degree.

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Career of Wayde van Niekerk

When Wayde van Niekerk initially enrolled at the institution, he began his athletic career. When he finished his first race, his parents could see a bright future for him.

Wayde always envisioned following his parents’ sports tradition because he grew up in a family with strong athletic origins and was blessed with exceptional athletic abilities.

At the 2020 World Junior Athletic Championships, the athlete competed for the first time internationally. After finishing fourth in the 200-meter event, he started to see his own potential.

His breakthrough then occurred when he won the 200-meter gold medal at the 2011 South African Athletics Championships. Additionally, his 400-meter talent started to emerge in 2012.

As he continued to break records both personally and globally, his newly discovered talent quickly started to shape his career. Wayde also triumphed in the 400-meter race at the 2015 World Championships.

When he won the men’s 400-meter gold medal for his nation at the 2016 Olympic Games with a timing of 43.03 seconds while still only 24 years and 30 days old, it was a really historic occasion.

He had surpassed Micheal Johnson’s mark of 43.18 seconds from the 1999 World Athletics Championship.

The irony is that Wayde despises the 400m, which is where he made his wealth.

The athlete also set records in 2016 by running the 100, 200, and 400 meters in sub 10 seconds, 20 seconds, and 44 seconds, respectively.

Similarly, Wayde is the only athlete to have run times of under 10, under 20, under 31, and under 44 for the 100, 200, 300, and 400 meters, respectively.

Knee injury for Wayde van Niekerk

After suffering a serious knee injury during a game of celebrity touch rugby, Wayde van Niekerk experienced a significant setback in his professional life.

The athlete was at the top of his game at the time; he had broken world records, wed his lover, and had been recognized as Usain Bolt’s heir apparent by the world-famous runner regarded as the fastest man on Earth.

Sadly, the knee injury prevented him from competing in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and he had to spend six months recovering.

He tore his anterior cruciate ligament and suffered medial and lateral meniscus tears, but the athlete himself claimed that he felt more pain mentally than physically.

Wayde also mentioned that a few incredible athletes who suffered tragic catastrophic injuries got in touch with him, spoke with him, and inspired him.

Comeback, Wayde van Niekerk

Wayde van Niekerk beat Micheal Johnson’s 17-year-old world record in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro despite competing in the eighth lane, which is considered the hardest and furthest lane.

He was skeptical after suffering that kind of injury, like many others, but fortunately he never gave up. Instead, he revealed that he had accepted all that had transpired and was prepared to return even more powerfully than before.

He has now put in more effort than ever and competed in the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

Honorable Mentions:

  • African Championships Silver medallist x 1
  • Olympic Games finalist x 1
  • World Championships finalist x 3
  • Diamond League meeting winner x 6
  • Current World Record holder – 400m x 1
  • Current African Record holder – 400m x 1
  • World Records in career x 1

Personal life of Wayde van Niekerk

Wayde is equally successful in his personal life as he was in his job. Chesney Campbell is married to Wayde van Niekerk.

They started dating after meeting while attending the University of the Free State.

In December 2016, the stunning couple got engaged, and the sportsman delightedly announced the news to his followers on social media.

Chesney has been with Wayde ever since they began dating, and the two exchanged vows of eternal love at their wedding in October 2017.

Prior to the epidemic, we saw witness the pair taking pleasure in their travels around the globe.

Additionally, the sportsman happily announced on his social media that he is going to be a father in early July 2021. The delighted pair, as they had promised, is pregnant and happier than ever.

Worth of Wayde van Niekerk

Niekerk, a well-known athlete and world record holder, undoubtedly lives a posh life. The estimated $3 million net worth of Wayde van Niekerk.

The gifted Olympian has made a reputation for himself, achieved the pinnacles of his profession at such a young age, and amassed fortune.

Although there is currently no information available on his real estate and properties, based on his social media, we can infer that the sportsman leads a very opulent existence.

Additionally, he has had numerous sponsorships and endorsements, including Addidas and Audi vehicles. As a result, the sportsman is frequently spotted driving different models of his partner company.

Similar estimates place his sponsorship with Addidas at $350,000 – $500,000.

Additionally, he also produces his own clothing line, which is well-liked by his followers and sports fans. Both Amazon and Addidas’ own website sell the products.

Twitter, Wayde van Niekerk

Social media may only be used by a small minority of individuals in this day and age, and Olympian Wayde is also active on a number of social media sites.

The sportsman frequently updates his followers on both his personal and professional life via social media, so they are always aware of what is happening in his life. We can see a little bit of the athlete’s daily life thanks to social media. Link to this page:

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • website

Wayde van Niekerk: FAQs

Is Wayde van Niekerk a Christian?

Wayde van Niekerk follows Christianity and is a devout Christian. Back when he broke the 400 meters world record, he had tweeted “Jesus Did It” and “GOD DID IT,” showing his faith towards the almighty.

When did Wayde van Niekerk get injured?

Unfortunately, in October 2017, just some days after his wedding, a tragic injury on his knee put him out of commission for more than six months. It not only brought physical pain but also got mentally disturbed.