SportStroom Episode 23: Shaun Bownes: From Humble Beginnings to Hurdling Greatness
- Karen Scheepers
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Shaun Bownes is not just a name etched in South African track and field history, he’s a living legend whose journey from skinny schoolboy to Olympic finalist continues to inspire athletes of all ages. In this powerful and personal episode of SportStroom, Shaun sits down with the team to talk about the highs, the hurdles (literal and figurative), and the legacy of a career that spanned more than two decades.
This conversation isn’t just for athletics fans, it’s for anyone who’s ever had a dream, faced a setback, or needed a reminder of what persistence looks like.
Shaun’s Career Highlights
Shaun’s track record is one of remarkable consistency and dominance. Over his career, he earned:
10 South African Senior National Medals (8 Gold, 2 Silver)
3 Medals at the All-Africa Games (including Gold and Bronze)
Multiple World Indoor appearances, including a Bronze Medal
Two Olympic Games (Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004)
Finalist in the World Championships
African Record Holder in the 60m hurdles (Indoor), a record that still stands more than two decades later
His personal best of 13.26 seconds in the 110m hurdles was a time that would consistently earn podium finishes at major global meets. At the height of his career, Shaun was ranked Top 3 in the world, a testament to not only his raw talent, but his discipline and drive.
The Realities of Track & Field in Wet Weather
As a current coach and former competitor, Shaun offers unfiltered insight into the unpredictability of track and field, especially under adverse weather conditions. At the recent SA Senior Championships, athletes faced cold, rain, and slippery tracks.
He explains how such elements affect performances and can be the difference between qualification and heartbreak. His advice? Be prepared for everything, from extra dry clothes and multiple spikes to simply finding shelter under a bathroom roof to stretch and stay warm.
More than anything, Shaun emphasizes mind over matter. “The cold is your biggest enemy,” he says. “But your mindset is what makes or breaks your race.”
From Humble Beginnings to the Olympic Stage
Shaun’s path to greatness wasn’t scripted. As a schoolboy, he didn’t even qualify for athletics teams until Grade 11. Labeled “Mosquito” for his skinny frame, he admits he wasn’t naturally gifted, but he had heart.
Things changed when he made the SA Junior team in Matric, only to tear his hamstring days before the final. Still, he refused to quit. After a stint in the police force and juggling full-time work with training, he got his big break, qualifying for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, where he won Bronze and broke a long-standing SA record.
From there, it was a meteoric rise:
1999 World Championships
2000 Sydney Olympics, where he vividly remembers the electrifying moment of walking into the stadium amid 100,000 roaring fans
Multiple World Champs and international medals
Despite being told he was “too old” at one point, Shaun continued to compete and win until 2009 , redefining what it meant to have longevity in sport.
Life After the Track
Now a coach and family man, Shaun channels his experience into developing young athletes, not just physically, but mentally. He teaches resilience, race-day preparation, and staying grounded. His story serves as proof that success doesn’t come from talent alone, but from unwavering dedication.
He speaks candidly about the challenges of balancing a sports career with life, marriage, fatherhood, finances, and reflects with humor and humility on the sacrifices it took to stay at the top.
Shaun’s records in the 50m, 60m, and 110m hurdles still stand today, but his proudest legacy may not be measured in medals, but in the impact he continues to have on South African athletics.
A Legacy That Leaps
Shaun Bownes’s story is one of grit, growth, and greatness. From not making his high school team to standing on the Olympic stage, he reminds us that the finish line isn’t the goal, it’s the journey that defines us.
In every storm, on every track, through every season of life, he kept running. And in doing so, paved the way for others to believe they could too.
Click on the button below to watch the Afrikaans interview:
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