jonathan oparka
former student and sprinter Jonathan Oparka is joined by Jenny Marra as he prepares to represent his country in this year's Commonwealth Games.
"Dedicated" is the word his Dad uses to describe him and I begin to
understand why as we watch Jonathan Oparka warming up in the cold Saturday morning sunshine at Dundee's Caird Park running track.
As the pubs and clubs heaved the night before, Jonathan - 22 -
a prime age for all night parties - was tucked up in bed, fast asleep, fuelling his energy for training the next morning and the challenges
that lie ahead.
Jonathan Oparka is a sprinter. Selected for the Commonwealth Games squad for Manchester 2002 and part of the men's relay team, he
cannot afford nights on the tiles. With a personal best of 10.34 in the 100 metres and stories of running next to Maurice Greene in San Diego you get the impression that this man from Auchterhouse could soon be carrying Scotland's sporting hopes and dreams on his young shoulders. Lean, red headed and shy, he quietly warms up, watched carefully by
his father and coach, Karl.
Karl Oparka has coached Jonathan from an early age when he was
small for his years and often beaten in races. Karl was a runner
himself and reckons that as a young boy Jonathan wanted to
emulate him. Something of their father's talent and ambition must
be genetic for Jonathan's younger brother Richard is also an athlete -
a contender in the shot putt and Scotland's youth games captain
at the last Commonwealth Games. Richard is in his second year
studying Medicine at the University of Dundee.
Jonathan graduated in 2001 with an honours degree in physiology having spent four years carefully balancing his training and studies.
Like his brother Richard he has been supported by the Excel scholarship programme run by the University's Institute of Sport and Exercise
to support students financially and with advice on training, diet
and psychology to maximise their sporting potential while pursuing
their studies. The scholarship allowed Jonathan to train in Edinburgh with some of the country's top athletes and has provided him with
a solid base for a full time running career.
When asked about his ambitions Jonathan is modest but his
assured stature and the determined set of his face tell the story of
an athlete with high aspirations and the dedication to prove himself
on the international circuit. The young sprinter is confident that
he will run in Manchester but his training routine gives testament
to the fact that he refuses to be complacent. He talks of his recent successes and improving his personal best without the inflated
sense of self that seems to accompany so much emerging talent
in an increasingly image-conscious sporting world.
On the track Jonathan exhibits concentration and focus. Posing for
our photographer's lens is more of a distracting chore for him than
a pleasant break from the demanding routine. The powerhouse of energy
is poised to be unleashed but only once we leave Jonathan and Karl
in peace will the real determination be revealed. This private practice will pay dividends for all to see.
Commonwealth Games. Manchester. Summer 2002.
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