If you watched the Rio Olympics during prime time last night — maybe tuning in to catch Usain Bolt do his thing — you probably also saw this guy, Wayde van Niekerk, win gold in the men's 400-meter race.
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And not JUST win gold, but blow away some extremely fierce competition and obliterate Michael Johnson's 17-year-old world record for the event.
At his first Olympics. While running in the outermost Lane 8 on the track, where you can't see anyone else in the race, and from which no one has ever successfully won Olympic gold in this event. That's...kind of a big deal, y'all.
And maybe you were like, "Who IS this guy, anyway?"
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And where did he get those cheekbones?
The answer is a) an extremely fast 24-year-old runner from Cape Town, South Africa, and b) my new hero in life.
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Also maybe, if I play my cards right, c) future husband.
Because Wayde doesn't just have the best bone structure on the track; he also has a story so inspiring it could make a pair of running shoes choke up.
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NBC ran a pre-race Feelings segment on Niekerk before the 400m that did exactly what it was supposed to, i.e. make me bawl like a dang baby when he won.
Botha runs the track program, like the total boss she is, at the University of the Free State in Cape Town, where Niekerk was a student.
And for his mom, a former track athlete herself who couldn't compete internationally because of apartheid laws in South Africa.
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She, understandably, is proud as heck.
And, you know, for all of South Africa, and the many kinds and colors of people in it. NBD.
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Niekerk carried his country's flag during the opening ceremony, and then won South Africa's first gold of the Rio games. After winning he said, "I have dreamed of this since I was a kid."
Anyway, his coach's reaction when he won summed up my own feelings exactly. This stuff is why the Olympics are worth watching.
So, if you missed Niekerk running last night, I highly suggest checking out the race here.
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And you can tune in to see him run for another medal (hopefully) in the 200m final on Thursday.
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