Nowe in dreamland ahead of Diamond League debut
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday June 13, 2025 14:04
This season, Nowe has broken the national record on four occasions. On May 31, the 800 metre runner improved the national record and her Personal Best (PB) to 1:58.47, from the 1:58.96 that she set in April. Following her powerful performance, Nowe will line up for her Diamond League debut in Stockholm. She goes into the race following her second position finish (1:59.58) at the FBK Games Continental Tour-Gold Meet in the Netherlands. Ahead of her debut at the Diamond League, Nowe spoke of her athletics journey that is propelling her to the top. “I started running in 2013 at Boipelego Junior Secondary School in Serowe. My Physical Education (PE) teacher identified me. In 2016, I competed at the Confederation of School Sport Association for Southern Africa (COSSASA) Games in Zimbabwe, where I won my first-ever medal gold medal in 800m. I then won a bronze medal in 1, 500m,” the 25-year-old said. During the 2017 COSSASA Games, she won silver in the 800m and bronze in the 1, 500m middle-distance races. She also competed at the 2017 Botswana Games, finishing in position three in the girls' long distance, 3, 000m. Nowe was selected to represent Botswana at the African Games in 2019, but unfortunately she failed to qualify for the final.
She won a silver medal alongside the women’s 4x400m relay team at the same competition. During the 2023 edition, she was part of the relay team that scooped a bronze medal in Accra, Ghana. Nowe made history last year when she became the first woman to represent Botswana in the 800m race at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “I was excited to compete at the Olympics. That was when I realised that I am on the right track and I can achieve more. I learnt a lot at the Olympics, I changed a lot afterwards,” Nowe said. The Mahalapye-born athlete predicted that 2025 is going to be a good year and she is looking forward to a competitive period. “It was a huge achievement for me to qualify for the Tokyo World Athletics Championships by standard, not by rankings. I am really excited,” she added. Nowe is training at the Sepeng Athletics Project in Pretoria, South Africa but she is not under the Botswana National Sport Commission Elite Scholarship. “Women athletes are struggling back home because athletics is expensive, especially when you are starting. When you do not have financial support, it will be tough. As long as there is no support for Botswana women athletes, we should not expect any good results from international events,” said the two-lap specialist, who grew up in Serowe. “My family gives me all the support; they fall and rise with me. They know all my struggles, and they always have my back. I need help, lots of help, I struggle a lot, from recovery to accommodation amongst others,” she said.
Nowe said she enjoys outside lanes as the inside tracks are risky as an athlete can get boxed in especially if one does not have a quick start. Her coach, Samuel Sepeng said he started training Nowe in 2022 after recommendation by her former coach, Kebonyemodisa ‘Dose’ Mosimanyane. “Nowe is a humble person, she believes in positive things. When we spoke about the sub 2 minutes, she did not question me, she believed that it is possible. This year we wanted 1:58.00, we have achieved that, and we believe there is more. She is a believer and puts in the work,” he said. Sepeng said Nowe was more into 400m and decided to try something new in the 800m when she moved to South Africa. He said Nowe stands a chance ending the year running 1:57.00, and can win a medal at major games such as World Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games or Olympics. “We also agreed that this year she would be part of the Diamond League circuit. It is happening this Sunday and I believe she will do well,” Sepeng said. Meanwhile, due to her brilliant performance on the track, Nowe received the 2025 Vunani Sportswoman of the Year Award and she was also nominated for Sportswoman of the Year at the Botswana Sports Awards 2025. She also received a nod for the 2025 Regional Annual Sports Awards.
FACT FILE
Full names: Oratile Nowe
Date of birth: May 20, 2000
Place of birth: Mahalapye
Profession: Athlete
Club: Sepeng AthleticsProject
Event: Middle-distance
running National Record (NR) and PB 800m: 1:58.47 (Nairobi, 2025) NR:1000m: 2:40.87 (Pretoria, 2024) NR: 1500m: 4:11.50 (Pretoria, 2025) Shoe size: Six Hobbies: Reading and play football Role model: Caster Semenya