I am Wian van Niekerk, and this is my story.
I grew up in the East Rand, stayed there for fifteen years, then moved to Pretoria. Every spare moment was spent chasing after a rugby ball, diving through a cricket boundary, or pushing myself on the athletics track. I wasn't the most talented athlete, but I had endless persistence and resilience. It paid off mostly in my running career, where my training finally earned me two national titles. Nevertheless, I still managed to keep my head above water in the classroom, graduating high school with five distinctions. A move to the United States seemed like the next logical step to progress my athletics and passion for software. I landed in Illinois and threw myself into student life, earning a top-student award in my first year. Then, everything changed. Numerous injuries sidelined me, forcing me to pack my bags and head back to South Africa.
Disappointed but not defeated, I used the setback as a chance to shift gears. My studies became top priority once again, earning another top-student award. With more free time, I started a part-time software developer job at Precision FinOps. However, to keep myself sane, as well as craving the freedom of movement I'd lost on the track, I discovered a love for cycling. Those open roads became my new home, a place where I could clear my head and rediscover the joy of pushing myself to the limit.