Everyone faces hurdles in life, but South Africa’s 100m hurdle national record holder and 32Gi-sponsored Olympic athlete Marione Fourie is far more skilled and adept at overcoming them than most.
After participating in a hurdles race for the first time in grade 4 and winning, Marione lined up in a Junior National Championship race a year later, finishing second.
Athlete stats:
- Age: 22
- Qualifications: Sports Science student
- Instagram: @marionefourie
- 4 x National Champion
- 2022 African Championships Bronze medalist
- 100m hurdles National record holder
Putting in the hours
“From that day, my love for the sport started growing within me,” explains Marione. “I switched coaches after leaving school, which is when I realised that I could go even further than just the National Championships.”
Since then, Marione has dedicated her time to perfecting the technique that gets runners over the 10 hurdles in their way, which are all 83.8cm tall, as fast as possible.
“I have put in a lot of hours over the years working on what to do and what not to do. My times started getting progressively faster and I ran my first Junior World Championships, ranking ninth in the world. That is when I realised that I wanted to become the best athlete I possibly could.”
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Breaking records
Marione has gone from strength to strength since then, setting a new South African record in Switzerland in 2023 when she won the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.55 seconds. This time ranked her as one of the world’s ten fastest 100m hurdlers.
She also qualified for the 2023 World Athletics Championships, which took place in Budapest, Hungary, where she reached the semi-finals.
Her performance last year earned her the prestigious Athletics South Africa Female Athlete of the Year award. She is now preparing to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games in Paris.
“I have always dreamt about going to the Olympics to represent my country. I am really proud to run for my country and showcase our bright colours and unique culture. I am very excited about the experience as it will be my first Olympics.”
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Trained for excellence
Marione trains under coach Juan Strydom, who sets up her training plan to achieve this level of excellence.
“I also have a support team behind me who keeps me strong and healthy and injury free, including biokineticist Nico Grobler and doctor Gerhard Vosloo.”
Marione trains from Monday to Saturday. Each session is usually two hours long. During this time she usually engages in a combination of technique refinement, endurance and speed.
“I am in the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, working on power and speed development with a mix of eccentric and isometric training and explosive plyometrics.”
Marione’s routine also includes stretching and mobility work, which she does on her own in her own time.
“I include active recovery or rest days, which include ice baths, stretching, or sitting in recovery boots. I also go to ORTHOlifestyle Recovery Centre, which helps me tremendously with my recovery process.”
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Fuelled for the win
Her diet is also focused on supporting her recovery efforts and boosting the performance benefits from all her training.
“My meals are always balanced, consisting of some protein from meat, vegetables, and some carbs and fruits.”
In the morning she eats a breakfast like oats to keep her feeling full for longer and fuel her training. For lunch, she eats pasta and then, one hour before she starts to warm up for training, she will eat a banana and peanut butter or a peanut butter sandwich.
“I also drink 32Gi Boom Pre-workout 45 minutes before a race,” The explosive formula delivers nutrients to enhance mental focus and vasodilation, and improved lactic acid buffering to reduce fatigue.
Getting a supplement boost
She complements her diet with supplements to ensure she gets the nutrition she needs, with strategic supplements to support her performance during training and racing.
“I use 32Gi products at the moment and always have a 32Gi Recover shake after training.”
32Gi Recover uses a carefully selected fast-digesting non-GMO pea protein isolate to support muscle recovery with carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, delivered in an optimal 3:1 car-to-protein ratio.
Before training, Marione uses 32Gi Rapid Energy Drink. This isotonic drink contains a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose carbohydrate ratio, which is ideal for super athletic performances over explosive short to medium distances.
“I also take 32Gi G Shot gels before or during training for the caffeine boost – a proven performance-enhancing aid,” she adds.
Marione’s 32Gi supplement stack:
Strong mind, strong performance
Outside the gym and off the race track, Marione invests time to build her mental strength and hone her mindset to compete at the highest level.
“Over time, I have learnt how to manage my stress levels and how to cope with the pressure of racing by switching from stress to adrenaline. There are many things you can do, but once you learn how to control the nerves, you can control your mind and how you think and act.”
As her mindset has changed, so has her confidence and performance. “I now know that if you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.”
Before competitions, Marione says she visualises her race, keeps a positive mindset during her warm-up, and stays focused on what she is doing, rather than looking at the athletes around her.
“I control my breathing and stay in the zone by continually telling myself that I can do anything.”
Ultimately, the process of getting faster each year and setting a new national record has taught Marione that all the hard work always pays off.
“I hope to become a role model to others and I continue to work on becoming the best version of myself that I can be and creating the life I’ve always wanted.”
