Olympic sprinter Letsile Tebogo is a real-life hero! Tebogo, who received an award as men’s track athlete of the year, also won Botswana’s first Olympic gold medal in any sport when he zoomed through the 200m track at the Paris Games forging a new African record of 19.46. Recently, Tebogo sprang into action when torrential rains flooded Gaborone. With his trusty Toyota Land Cruiser, Tebogo pulled several waterlogged cars to dry land as water levels rose, wreaking havoc and engine malfunctions. But that’s not all!

On April 2, 2025, World Athletics announced Tebogo as an ambassador for its Kids’ Athletics initiative, a program designed to introduce young people to the sport through fun, accessible activities. The tweet said, “

World Athletics is proud to announce 🇧🇼‘s Olympic gold medallist and World Athlete of the Year 2024 @tebogo_letsile_ as an ambassador for its Kids’ Athletics programme, a global initiative that uses the power of athletics to inspire children across the world to be more active.” The honor comes on the heels of a stellar 2024 that saw him being crowned as World Athlete of the Year after a historic Olympic haul, plus a silver in the 4x400m relay and a bronze in the 100m at Paris 2024. His resume also boasts a 100m silver from the 2023 World Championships, cementing his status as a multi-event phenom. Yet, it’s his off-track journey that makes this ambassadorship so fitting. Growing up in Kanye, a rural town in Botswana, Tebogo faced a grim reality. “Sport has really helped me a lot because I think that, without it … probably I would be a criminal by now,” he revealed in an interview with Athletics Weekly. Tebogo’s new role amplifies that redemption arc. Just after the announcement, he joined 1,000 children—including some from his old primary school—in Gaborone for a relay event, kicking off his mission to ignite their passion for sport. “Athletics has given me so many opportunities, and I want to inspire young people to believe in themselves, dream big, and enjoy the sport,” he said in an Instagram post by World Athletics. His flood heroics earlier this year, captured in local lore, only deepen his appeal as a role model: a champion who runs fast and steps up faster. As Tebogo prepares for GST, where he’ll face off against sprinting elites like Fred Kerley and Kenny Bednarek, his ambassadorial debut adds a layer of purpose to his speed. From towing cars out of floods to towing kids toward brighter futures, he’s proving that true greatness isn’t just measured in seconds—it’s forged in the lives he lifts along the way.

Letsile Tebogo didn’t start out with athletic ambitions

Letsile Tebogo, the Olympic 200m champion, knows the transformative power of sport better than most. His golden run in Paris reshaped his life and countless others. Yet, the World Championships 100m silver medalist admits that athletics wasn’t his first love; it was a path he stumbled into, one that ultimately saved him from a life of crime. Now, as he steps into his new role as an ambassador for World Athletics’ Kids’ Athletics programme, Tebogo’s journey from reluctant runner to global inspiration underscores the profound impact of sport.

His new ambassadorship with World Athletics’ Kids’ Athletics programme, announced on April 2, 2025, elevates his profile further. Tebogo celebrated by joining 1,000 kids in Gaborone for a relay event, igniting their passion for a sport that saved him.“I’m now happy to see a lot of kids and people of my age trying to venture into something, because now it means the crime rates are reducing in the country as a lot of youngsters are the ones that are committing those crimes.” he said after becoming an ambassador for World Athletics’ Kids’ Athletics programme. The programme, active in over 130 countries, teaches teamwork and resilience—values Tebogo embodies, from his flood-heroics towing cars in Gaborone to his track triumphs. Tebogo’s ascent hasn’t slowed in 2025. Already this year, he’s raced four times over 400m, most recently finishing second to compatriot Bayapo Ndori at the Maurie Plant Meeting in Melbourne. But the shorter sprints beckon. On April 12, he’ll tackle the 200m at the Golden Grand Prix in Botswana, a homecoming event that sets the stage for a blockbuster season. The year peaks at the World Championships in September, where his rivalry with Olympic 100m and three-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles promises fireworks. Lyles, who Tebogo outran for 200m gold in Paris, will be eager to reclaim supremacy—a clash fans are already buzzing about. Tebogo’s GST debut also promises to showcase not just his speed, but his growing legacy as a hero on and off the track.