Prudence Sekgodiso’s national award nomination marks steady progress

Prudence Sekgodiso has been nominated for South Africa’s Sportswoman of the Year award after her performances in 2025. The 800m runner is competing for the honour with surfski paddler Kira Bester and cricketer Laura Wolvaardt at Sunday’s ceremony in Sun City, North West.

Her coach, Samuel Sepeng, views the nomination as further evidence of Sekgodiso’s development. He previously coached Caster Semenya, who won the award several times, and sees similarities between the recognition now received by Sekgodiso and Semenya’s earlier success.

Sepeng said the nomination follows Sekgodiso’s outstanding achievements in the previous year and was therefore not unexpected. He added that the recognition has made the former World Indoor 800m champion proud, while Sekgodiso is also excited to be acknowledged alongside leading South African sportswomen.

The nomination has also affected the wider training group at the University of Pretoria. Sepeng believes it has given the athletes there extra motivation and can encourage young black South African women who are considering careers in sport.

Sekgodiso’s progress has a particular meaning for Sepeng because of the different stages at which the two middle-distance athletes joined his programme. He described Semenya as an already refined talent, while Sekgodiso arrived with raw ability and developed into an elite competitor under his guidance.

Sepeng regards Sekgodiso as one of the strongest athletes he has coached. He also believes she can again run inside two minutes for 800m and continue progressing beyond her current level. Her nomination places that development alongside the achievements of Bester and Wolvaardt in a highly competitive Sportswoman of the Year category.