SEB REYNEKE

It is safe to say athlete and model Seb Reyneke knows how to move. Astrophe had a beautiful afternoon in the sun capturing Seb’s elegant and practiced physicality, and had a lot of fun delving into what makes this Decathlon professional so humble and positive.

Decathlon is a solo sport, what mental techniques do you use to keep yourself in a positive and motivated headspace? 

I am a big believer in journaling, I do it throughout the day every day and I am always writing about things which I think of or things that have happened that make me happy, excited, motivated etc. I find doing this really allows me to think about my goals and put down my thoughts somewhere where I can hold onto the good. I also always try to improve myself and have a positive impact on myself and others, so I think that helps as well. If I am ever going through a period of lacking motivation I like to bring myself back to some of the reasons I originally started up with the sport. That almost always reinvigorates me.

How does movement help you tap into your own personal strength? 

Ever since I was young movement has always been something I have loved, growing up it allowed me to connect with others in ways you sometimes can’t express through words. It allowed me to find goals, it allowed me to inspire others, have fun, and it just feels great to move! 

You currently have careers in Decathlon, modelling, and you’re a student. How do you find time to fit everything in and maintain a good life balance? Do you get any chill time? 

While I do have a busy schedule I am definitely able to find time for myself! Going through high school I was used to having probably 3 hours a day of time for myself and now in college, I have even more time than that so it really isn’t too bad.

How are the ways you physically move your body in Decathlon different from the visual way you move your body when you’re modelling? 

There are a lot of things that are very different between the two, but there are also similarities. In general, the Decathlon is a very powerful and fast-moving sport. Every event requires basically your maximum effort in a controlled manner, whereas modelling is often much slower paced. The crossover I find is within body awareness; in the Decathlon to hit specific positions you need to know exactly where your body is in space, and it is the same for modelling.

You’ve lived in three continents. What are your favourite parts of each?

Australia is my favourite continent, and it is hard to say just a few things. I like the somewhat laidback environment, the fact that it is my home and where I grew up, the environment, the weather, the way it feels small but big, and much more. My favourite parts of America from what I’ve experienced is being able to live in an environment surrounded by like-minded friends while being able to pursue my passion and further educate myself, I also think it's really cool how there are so many different locations you can visit. For South Africa, my birthplace, I don’t really have much experience with it as I moved when I was 2.5 years old and have only visited once, from what I do know I absolutely love the beauty of it, I like that that is where my heritage is from and my family still carries through certain traditions, and I always like the people from there too.

Who are some of your role models inside of sport?

Inside of sport I really look up to athletes who are genuinely good and uplifting people and are at the top of some aspect in their field – that could be things like athleticism, overall performance, technical knowledge etc. Someone who exemplifies this for me would be the previous world record holder in the Decathlon, Ashton Eaton. As well as this I really look up to athletes who have had an impact on me while I was growing up like my coach, and some elite Australian decathletes and training partners.

Who are some of your inspirations outside of sport?

For me I find that my inspirations normally come from people I know like friends and family who have some aspect or quality I really respect and would like to incorporate into my life – that could be things like positivity, mentality, charisma, confidence, or kindness. Other people I look up to are just people who are genuine, interesting, thoughtful about what they say, try to help others in some way and again may have some quality I would like to incorporate into my own life. For me, my dad has always been an inspiration and is a big reason why I am where I am today.

SEB REYNEKE @chadwickmodels / @matemodelmanagement / @rhysripper) / Shot by Simone Taylor / Styled by Daniel Hanslow words BY ALEX OFFICER /

White Blazer — Maggie Marilyn / Black Suit Pants — Stylist’s Own / Black Blazer — Stylist’s Own / White Singlet — Stylist’s Own / Socks — Stylist’s Own / Everything else — Nike

MORE LIKE THIS