Though he is a relative newcomer to the world of professional track and field, Botswana’s own Letsile Tebogo shattered records earlier this year by taking home his nation’s very first gold Olympic medal. The runner, who’s affectionately known as School-Boy, is one of several Olympians set to take center stage in the upcoming Netflix docu-series Sprint: The World’s Fastest Humans Part 2. The series, which premieres today, Nov. 13, will detail Tebogo’s grueling training regiment, unmatched dedication and eventual path to victory at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Since his star is on the rise, this seems like the perfect time to do a deep dive on the African speedster. Tebogo is known to stay quite private and refrain from excessive use of social media, though we’ve managed to piece together several inspiring details about his background, career highs and net worth, allowing fans from around the globe a chance to get better acquainted with his story.
Letsile Tebogo’s Early Life And Career Beginnings
As stated, Letsile Tebogo hails from the Southern African nation of Botswana. With a population of over 2.6 million, Botswana is criminally underrepresented on the world athletic stage, making the 21-year-old’s rise to prominence a breath of fresh air for African athletes and sports fans. Tebogo is said to have become interested in professional track and field from an incredibly young age, leading him to take home his first silver medal at just 12. He initially wanted to play football, but ultimately pivoted to professional sprinting due to a lack of access and facilities within his nation. While running with the Botswana Primary Schools Sports Association, the young athlete managed to break into the world of professional sports and eventually found himself competing in the 2021 World Athletics Relay in Poland.
As the youngest competitor at the international event, Tebogo earned the affectionate nickname School-Boy; at the time, multiple peers on the field jested that he should leave running to the professionals and return to his homework. After making a splash on the global stage with the World Athletics Relay, Letsile Tebogo went on to set a national record for the 100-meter dash, with a best time of just 9.91 seconds. This made him the very first athlete from Botswana to break the 10-second barrier, and the first in the world to do so under the age of 20. His major successes on the track drew early comparisons to the likes of Noah Lyles and Usain Bolt. Letsile Tebogo has famously chosen to block out these comparisons, likening them to distractions when his only true goal is to beat his best time.
Sprinter’s Olympic Performance Was Beyond Impressive
In August 2024, Tebogo ventured to Paris, France to represent Botswana at the Summer Olympics. There, he managed to set the national record for the 100-meter event, clocking in a staggering 9.86 seconds, and shaving an entire .5 seconds off his previous personal best. While a .5-second deficit may not seem like much, this figure was relatively unheard of before Tebogo tore up the track. His biggest success at the Olympic Games came in the 200-meter dash, with a record time of 19.46 seconds, narrowly besting his competitors and taking home the gold. This would be the first-ever Olympic medal for Botswana, and the first championship placement for an African sprinter in the history of the 200-meter dash.
Needless to say, Letsile Tebogo has become an icon within the borders of his home nation and an inspiration to African athletes everywhere. For his landmark Olympic performances, the government of Botswana rewarded Tebogo with a pair of lavish houses and declared Aug. 9 a national day of celebration on his behalf. Though the Black icon has explained that he feels honored with the properties, he has humbly chosen to keep his childhood home as his permanent residence. In an interview with World Athletics, Tebogo explained “I will rent those two [houses] out because I am not going to move out of my mum’s house.” This attachment to his childhood home likely stems from his emotional bond to the location, especially after his mother’s tragic passing after a brief battle with an illness in May 2024.
Exploring Additional Investments And Income
Luckily, it looks like there’s plenty for Letsile Tebogo to enjoy in his mother’s old home, as the star athlete has continued working as a farmer when he’s not busy training to win gold medals. During his World Athletics talk, Tebogo explained that he grew up raising animals on his land. While discussing the virtues of watching over the creatures, he stated, “Farming takes me away from the city life, so I can just refresh my mental life… It allows me to distract myself away from track and field. Once you think about track and field too much, at the moment you get too much stress.”
Tebogo also explained that his government has provided him with a myriad of new animals as part of their comprehensive welcome-home package following his Olympic run. “The Botswana government gave me about 30 more [animals] now. I am still counting, there are still more coming from them,” he revealed. While the runner didn’t go into detail regarding how much income is generated by his farm, it’s safe to say the family business is a distant second to his earnings from running. Still, Letsile’s sprinting career, farm income and rent generated from his two new homes surely combine to bring in a pretty penny, accounting for a large percentage of his estimated $2 million fortune. Furthermore, Letsile Tebogo has an ongoing endorsement deal with the high-end watch brand TAG Heuer, which also contributes a sizable check into his savings.
What’s Next For Letsile Tebogo?
While there’s no way of knowing exactly what the sprinter has planned, fans can rest assured that Letsile Tebogo is not finished breaking records on the track. His combined work with the Botswana government proves that the young champion is the first of many prolific athletes to emerge from the African nation, especially now that he’s bringing many new resources to the country’s youth. Those interested in learning more about Letsile Tebogo’s personal life, training regiment, and approach to athleticism, should be sure to check out his front-and-center appearance in Netflix’s Sprint: The World’s Fastest Humans Part 2.
