"Sprawled prone in the dirt, the cold metal of a baseball bat cracking against his skull, spine and down to the legs that had once propelled him to glory, Luvo Manyonga experienced an epiphany. This existence could not continue; he must change his life or die."
"Manyonga had been a drug addict for as long as he could remember, seeking recreational highs that provided the opposite of the performance-enhancing shortcuts that some of his deceitful athletics rivals might have pursued. At times, he just about kept his habit in check. Never for long periods—not even when at his sporting peak."
"Having already served an 18-month ban in 2012 for using tik, a form of crystal meth prolific in South Africa's townships, he was handed a four-year suspension from athletics in late 2020 for failing to update his whereabouts for doping testers as his addiction again spiralled into a chaotic existence."
Luvo Manyonga was a South African long jumper who achieved remarkable athletic success, winning Olympic silver in Rio 2016 and the world long jump title in London 2017 with a leap of 8.65m. However, his career was severely hampered by a long-standing crystal meth addiction that he struggled to control even during his peak performance years. After serving an 18-month ban in 2012 for using tik, he received a four-year suspension in 2020 for failing to report to doping testers as his addiction spiraled. Dropped by management and separated from the sport that sustained him, compounded by his mother's death, Manyonga hit rock bottom when he was brutally beaten in late 2023, triggering a critical realization that he must fundamentally transform his life or face death.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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