The North-West University (NWU) and javelin success are synonymous.
It seems like javelin stars are manufactured at the Fanie du Toit Sport Grounds, ultimately producing a conveyor belt of world-class athletes.
One of these stars is 19-year-old Jan-Hendrik Heymans, who recently became the World Champion at under-20 level with a personal best throw of 80,50 metres.
Heymans won the only gold medal for South Africa at the U20 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, from 5 to 9 August. This capped a remarkable campaign for the first-year Mechanical Engineering student.
He is another product of coach Terseus Liebenberg’s renowned javelin programme, where he trains alongside names such as Jo-Ané du Plessis (former NWU Olympic silver medallist), Righardt Stander and Ewald Jansen.
Being surrounded by elite throwers has forced the 19-year-old to think big and realise that becoming a world champion is anything but a pipe dream.
“It felt quite surreal. I didn’t know what emotion to show. Two weeks before the World Championships, I suspected that I had torn my groin, so I was unsure of how I would perform at the championships. After the first throw, which was also my best opening throw to date, I was more relaxed,” Heymans said.
Before his final throw, Heymans knew he had already secured gold, allowing him to push on with his final attempt.
“I had achieved all my goals for the competition, so it was an incredible feeling. Seeing how all the media and sponsors wanted to engage with me afterwards was something very new,” he said.
Javelin journey started on the boundary rope
His journey in javelin began in an unusual way. As a young cricket player, Heymans would throw cricket balls from the boundary towards the wickets, hoping to emulate Jonty Rhodes by running batsmen out with direct throws.
“My mother suggested that I try javelin, but it really wasn’t a sport at primary school. Corné Barnard, the father of one of my good friends, Marco, had two javelins, so we just learned the basics and decided to give it a try.”
Heymans began to excel in Grade 9 when he crossed paths with his Helpmekaar College coach, Hennis de Wet. It was no coincidence, as Hennis also comes from the hands of Terseus Liebenberg. De Wet holds a personal best of 81,02 metres, so he knows what he is doing.
Next, Jan-Hendrik received coaching from Wilhelm Pauer, another Liebenberg graduate, who threw 81,60 metres as a Springbok athlete in the 90s. Both De Wet and Pauer helped lay the foundation for the new U20 World Champ’s development.
Taking it further on the senior stage
Under Liebenberg’s guidance, Heymans has his sights set on becoming a world-class senior athlete.
“It is about doing the right things correctly. He is an incredible talent who now needs to become a world-class senior athlete. It is a journey and not a destination. One aspect that stands out to me about Jan-Hendrik is that he believes he can win and that he can control his emotions,” said Liebenberg.
Liebenberg has focused on Heymans’s technique, speed and strength, while biokineticist Rouan Knoesen and physiotherapist Anita van der Lingen’s team also played a key role in preparing him for the championships.
“His success really is a team effort,” Liebenberg added.
Heymans credits Liebenberg’s gym programme and years of experience with taking him to the next level.
“Oom Terseus’s years of experience with the event enabled him to set up a good programme and give me the best possible chance. Without him, I would not have been able to achieve what I have achieved.”
His long-term goals include representing South Africa at the Olympic Games and promoting javelin as a sport.
“My biggest goal is simply to show people that javelin is a really enjoyable sport where a community cares about one another and shares in each other’s success.”
