Six years ago Luvo Manyonga was a crystal meth ‘tic’ addict. Now he is an Olympic silver medalist and his journey from the townships to ‘flying to Rio 2016 glory’ has been well documented across the web.
I feel so blessed to have recently had the privilege of briefly interviewing this extraordinary athlete, and hugely inspiring human, here on The Legacy Project to try and go a bit deeper to find out what he believes contributed towards his Olympic achievement in Rio, where, now almost 3 years later, he is in his life and what it takes for this supreme South African athlete to keep believing that he will still be the first man ever to jump more than 9 metres.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
I think my definition of success has changed over the years. When I was younger success was probably more about my athletic achievements and being the best in the world in long jump.
Although that is still there, now success for me also incorporates elements like happiness, helping others and giving of your best. I know now that no matter how far I jump, success is defined by so much more in life.
If I can inspire others through not only my athletics career, but through the man I am, I think I will have been successful.
Ever since I first competed in the Long Jump at school I have wanted to make the world record my own, and be the first person to jump over 9m.
Those athletic goals get me out of bed every day and help me push through the hard training. But more than that, I am driven by the need to show people that anything is possible if you commit to something and focus on working hard at that thing. I want my life to be an example to others of what is possible.
I love competing and that’s a large part of being successful. I love the pressure moment and competing in front of a packed stadium – the bigger moment the more I enjoy it, and so instead of becoming tense, I can actually relax more and thrive on the atmosphere.
‘You are made for more than this’ given to me by a friend when I was really struggling. It helped me see that I had so much more to achieve and give in both athletics and life.
We all have some self-doubt and negativity sometimes and for me it was probably when I was making a comeback before the Rio Olympic Games.
After a few years away from the sport I wondered how I would do – but I very quickly found the passion for the sport and competing again, and this helped me to focus on training hard and enjoying every minute of being back in the game!
One of the lessons I have learnt is to just focus on yourself and not worry what others are doing. As soon as you start to focus on everybody else you lose sight of what you should be doing.
I still have the World Record to get!
Of course, I want part of my legacy to be that I broke the World Record and became the first person to jump over 9 metres – I want to be known as the best there has ever been in Long Jump.
But I also want my athletics achievements to leave a more meaningful and lasting legacy – a legacy that inspires people to overcome difficulties in life and reach for their own dreams.
Stephen Greene is the CEO of the international pro-social media company Rockcorps. As head of RockCorps, he has overseen the production of over 40 volunteer-exclusive concerts worldwide, featuring music artists such as Lady Gaga, Diddy and Rihanna. In 2012 the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, appointed Greene as Executive Chairman of the independent management body […]
Rose Caiola could have easily been defined by her success in the highly competitive world of New York City real estate, but she has ventured far beyond the boundaries of the business world. Her yearning for a better understanding of human wellness has taken her down diverse paths and led her to meet many fascinating […]
Lieutenant Charles Edward Martell FRGS is an English ocean rower, adventurer and humanitarian worker. A double Guinness World Record holder, Royal Engineer Charlie Martell is no stranger to adventure. Active service in Iraq, Bosnia and Northern Ireland led to a post-Army career in the humanitarian sector, where he specialised in post-conflict resolution. Working in mine-affected […]
Fred Roed is the Founder and CEO of Heavy Chef Pty Ltd, which is a community platform for entrepreneurs. The name ‘Heavy Chef’ comes from the saying never trust a skinny chef and aims to celebrate the ‘people that eat their own food’. Heavy Chef is a learning platform for entrepreneurs, offering regular learning experiences […]
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is the Founder and CEO of iconic footwear brand soleRebels, the planets fastest growing footwear brand from Africa, and the founder & creator of Republic of Leather a super cool new company that is changing the way people around the world buy & love luxury leather goods. From the humblest of beginnings, […]
Elana Meyer is a former long-distance Athlete from South Africa. She won the silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Elana is South Africa’s fastest Marathon runner to date. My Definition Of Success | Success for Elana Meyer is to follow your heart and get others to do the same! To become the […]
Alex Seropian made his name as one of the founders of Bungie, the developers of Halo (the most successful box games of all time with $4 billion in revenue and more than 50 million games sold). Alex recently founded Industrial Toys a company focused on revolutionizing mobile games for core gamers and who are very […]
Mike Ruiz is a world renowned celebrity and fashion photographer, director, television personality, former model, spokesperson, creative director, and actor working with an impressive list of clients including beauty and fashion brands like L’Oreal, Schick, Dark and Lovely and Garnier along with a host of A-list celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Betty White, Katy Perry, and […]
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
