BANGKOK: Living largely away from home and returning only once every one or two months, Jonathan Nyepa embraced a demanding routine that shaped his SEA Games campaign for Malaysia.
The Sarawak sprinter, who hails from Belaga, has been based in Kuala Lumpur for most of the year as a full-time athlete, committing himself fully to training and competition while managing long periods of separation from his family.
“I’ve been training in Kuala Lumpur since my wife completed her postnatal period earlier this year. At the same time, I would return home briefly once a month or once every two months,” said Jonathan.
He said competition schedules often dictated how frequently he was able to return home, with some stretches lasting as long as two months without a visit.
“Sometimes the longest period can be two months before I get to go back. It depends on the competitions,” said the 29-year-old.
Jonathan added that his last extended return home was in mid-February, after which his focus remained firmly on preparation for the SEA Games, which became the main target of his season.
The veteran sprinter, who was making his sixth SEA Games appearance, said he plans to take a short break after the Games to reset physically and mentally before resuming training for the year ahead.
“After this, we’ll reset. I’ll discuss the plans with my family. I may go home for Christmas first and take a short break during the off-season before continuing training,” he told Sarawak Tribune when met at the Supachalasai National Stadium after the race.
The off-season, however, is expected to be brief, with Jonathan estimating it may last less than a month as preparations for next year’s competitions begin early.
Beyond competing, Jonathan, who is of Kenyah descent, has also begun giving back to the sport through coaching, working with young athletes both in Sarawak and in Kuala Lumpur whenever his training schedule allows.
“This year I’m a full-time athlete. Sometimes I also do some coaching, but that only started recently. When I’m back in Bintulu, I coach a few runners, and I also do some coaching at a club in KL,” he said.
Jonathan hopes his journey and achievements can inspire more young people from Sarawak to take up athletics, particularly sprinting, and to dream of representing both the state and the country on the international stage.
“I hope with this achievement, I can inspire children from Sarawak to get involved in athletics and one day represent Sarawak and Malaysia,” he added.
Jonathan was also part of Malaysia’s men’s 4x100m relay quartet alongside Mohd Fahimi Aliff Iman, Hajam Pengiran Aidil Auf and Muhammad Roslee Danish Iftikhar, who produced their fastest-ever run on the big stage.
The Malaysian team clocked a national record 39.03 seconds to clinch the silver medal, finishing behind hosts Thailand and ahead of Indonesia in a thrilling final, surpassing the previous national mark of 39.09 seconds set at the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam.
