At age 15 Leander Pholman is setting new Elsen Boland School standards.
But what works for one athlete doesn’t necessarily work for another, and sometimes one has to think out of the box.
It seems this out-of-boxer, Leander, went from being an athlete to a winning athlete in just six months.
His coaching team from the Langebaan Strandlopers promotes two things. Firstly, athletes need to run their own races and secondly, improve their Personal Best (PB) in every race. Asking an athlete to win places tremendous stress on them the team believes.
Leander ran a PB of 53:2 seconds (400 m), 2:12 (800 m) 24:4 (200 m) and 1:68 m (high jump) in June 2021.
However, Leander lacked a couple of things, such as core strength, identified by a simple diamond push-up.
With regard to high jump his acceleration and explosiveness were not up to standard.
The Langebaan Strandlopers coaching team used the Covid 19 lockdown to zoom-in on the shortcomings and could work hard on Leander’s core without interruptions and competition.
A set programme with regard to endurance and core strength was set, three times a week from October 2021 to mid-January.
Then the team went into a speed session (twice a week) by cutting strength and core work to once a week.
Leander entered as part of a team in the Miller Series, which consisted of three meetings the 4, 17 and 19 January at Green Point stadium in Cape Town
All of these races had appointed pace setters to ensure runners are running their best times
On 4 January Leander started his first race (800 m) in the C-race, and finished in a time of 2 min, 04 sec – a new PB. He also outran the pace setter.
On 17 January, Leander was entered in the B race and ran a time of 2 min (another PB) once again outrunning the pace setter.
On the 19th he was entered in the B race and ran a time of 1 min 58 seconds (another PB), again outrunning the pace setter.
On 22 January he ran a 11:34 in the 100 m qualifying (which is within SA Nationals qualification time), another PB.
He also ran the 200 m in 23:54 (within SA Nationals qualification time), another PB at Parow, Cape Town at a WP Masters event.
On 16 February – at the school championships – he ran a 2:10 for the 800 m.
He completed the 400 m in 50:6 – a new Elsen Boland School record and a new personal best.
He ran the 200 m in 23:7 seconds
And to top it off, he set a new PB – and a new Elsen Boland School record – at 1:85m for the high jump.
On 24 February at Paarl he ran the 200 m in 23:8 seconds, 800 m in 2:04 minute, 400 m in 50:8 seconds and did high jump.
Four Boland Championship Medals.
Earning the title Boland 800 m, 200 m, 400 m and high jump u-17 Elsen Champion.
Due to heats and the final the team decided to cut the 200 m as the physical load was too much.
One week later Leander ran the 800 m in, 2,02 minutes, 400 m in 50:7 seconds and the high jump the Western Cape championships
Earning the title Western Cape 800 m, 400 m and high Jump u-17 Elsen Champion.
At a cold and rainy South African National Championship Leander injured his knee while getting of the high jump mat.
He, however, ran the 400 m heat and final with an injured knee.
He also became the South African Champion in both events.
