LUVO MANYONGA: A STORY OF MANY LIFE LESSONS

One of the great things about sport is the miraculous comebacks athletes make against all odds.
Luvo Manyonga is one such success story.
His promising athletic's career came to a screeching halt after he got hooked on drugs.
Manyonga has since kicked the habit, smashed all sorts of records including being the best long jumper in the world, and is now a beacon of hope to many youngsters in South Africa, and the world, who are battling drug addiction.
At 28, he's a reformed man, who has learnt some valuable lessons, including living with painful regrets.
As a journalist, I once covered a story on Manyonga during his dark days of battling Tik addiction.
I wanted to use that moment in 2014 as a means of not only chasing a big scoop but to give Manyonga a chance to speak out about his problems, in the hope that someone, anyone, would help this young man to rise up and eventually conquer the athletics world again. I am happy to say it was mission accomplished as during that year, help was on the way for Manyonga. Sometimes we, as journalists, can help sportsmen and women who are down and out to rise up again. In Manyonga's case, all he needed was a good Samaritan to hear his desperate plea for help.