There is a very fine line between success and failure as an athlete, especially if you are a sprinter. It is a race against time where the difference between the champion and the runners is only one millisecond. On the other hand, some are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, while others come to the limelight through hard work and determination.
Like Sri Lankan sprint queen Amasha de Silva, another talented athlete from the International School of Colombo in Kandy, Seneca Guneratne, would have been overshadowed if coach Sanjeewa Weerakkody had not switched their race from 400m in shorter sprint races.
Amasha is a three-time national champion who is currently undergoing a training program in Trinidad & Tobago. Seneca, who was adjudged the best athlete at the 2019 Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletics Championships and the 2020 International Schools Athletics Championships (ISAC), lived up to her billing by being crowned 100m champion at the All School Games Athletics Championships Island last month.
“When she came to me in 2021, her time in the 100 was 12.8. Like most runners, her start was weak because she lacked upper body strength. I developed her technique out of the blocks,” said Weerakkody who is confident she has the ability to represent Sri Lanka this year.
Seneca clocked a winning time of 12.78 seconds at the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championships, followed by 12.38 at the All Island Games.
“To take almost half a second off her time is a very good achievement. She missed the Games records by milliseconds,” said Weerakkody, who is happy with her progress and her preparation for the Asian Junior Internationals this year.
“I’m confident she can run under 12 seconds during the qualifiers. The goal is to run 11.8 or 11.9 in the trials,” he said, working to improve her low hemoglobin and nose problem.
Seneca, for her part, is very cool about her achievements and ambitions for her exploits on the track, focusing her attention on starting a new chapter in her life after being selected to New York University.
“It’s been my dream and goal to become an engineer,” she said, even taking a break from athletics to finish her studies. Striking a good balance between education and sport has paid off for Seneca, who could afford a gap year before entering university, which allowed her to burn up the track.
“The time I got was better than expected,” said Seneca, pleasantly surprised by the improvement she’s making. She was adorned with the Central Province and Sri Lanka Schools Athletic Association colors for her exploits.
Despite her academic and sporting achievements, Seneka has her head on her shoulders and her feet planted on the ground without complaining about the limited facilities available in Kandy for training before moving to the United States in September. Her training is on the grass track at the Bogambara Stadium in Kandy, which is not ideal for runners in particular. “Running on grass is more difficult than on carpet (synthetic track). When we go for meetings in Colombo, it is really easy for us and the time improves a lot,” she said, turning adversity into an advantage.
“My goal is to represent Sri Lanka in international meets. Even going to the Olympics is possible by working hard,” she said two years ago after being selected by the National Olympic Committee for the NOCSL-Crysbro ‘Next Champion’ programme. Although she is more concerned about her academic career, coach Weerakkody feels that she can represent Sri Lanka even while studying in the United States.
“She can participate in the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in South Korea, which were last held in 2020 and in 2024. I can talk to the university coach and the technology available there, her time it will definitely improve,” said Weerakkody, who has not let go of her brilliance on the international stage, encouraged by her steady progress and the massive strides she is making.
Seneca was always a cut above others in her age group, earning a double promotion to Class IV when her family moved from Colombo to Kandy. After trying her hand at swimming, she was drawn to athletics showing natural talent. It was in her genes since she came from an athletic background with her father’s brother Sampath Guneratne having represented Sri Lanka in the Asian Junior Games. Her older sister Heshani also followed her in athletics before joining the University of Michigan to study Law. Seneca showed leadership skills by emulating her mother Jehani, who was House Captain at Lindsay Girls’ School, to become Head Girl at CIS before ending her school career early with flying colours.
“My parents have been my biggest source of inspiration throughout my career,” said Seneca, who will turn 18 in April. Her father Janeshra is an entrepreneur while her mother Jehani has been a speech and drama teacher but has devoted her attention to raising her talented children.
