Omanyala explains why he turned down the iShowSpeed race challenge
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 21.01.26. | 07:17
He explained that while such races may be entertaining to the public, they pose serious risks for elite athletes.
Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, has explained why he declined to race popular YouTuber and streamer iShowSpeed, insisting that elite sport must be treated with the professionalism it deserves.
Omanyala was speaking on Monday morning during a motivational visit to Crawford International School, where he addressed students and advised them on discipline, self worth and understanding the value of their craft.
Drawing a clear distinction between entertainment and professional sport, the Commonwealth champion stressed that sprinting is his livelihood, not a prank or a casual spectacle.
“Once you get to a level where you are doing your job, nobody can come to your office and start doing pranks on you. You are doing what you do because you earn from that place,” Omanyala said.
He noted that he has deliberately built the Omanyala brand to a level where every appearance must make professional sense.
“For me, I have built the Omanyala brand to become what it is now, and it is so big that anything, any appearance, anywhere I go, must make professional sense,” he added.
Omanyala further questioned the fairness of risking months of intense preparation for social media engagement.
“Imagine me putting in seven hours a day of training, three to four months before a season, and 44 weeks a year, for someone to come and pay me with streams and likes. Is it fair?” he posed.
He went on to explain that while such races may be entertaining to the public, they pose serious risks for elite athletes.
“It is entertainment to the general public, but for me, it is an input. I need to prepare for that. I need to stop my training for like three days, and then what happens when I go race him and then get an injury, God forbid? And then I have races in like two weeks,” he said.
Omanyala also raised concerns about accountability to sponsors, management and race organisers. He added that the timing made the proposal even more impractical, with competitions already scheduled.
“How am I going to explain to my sponsors or management that I was racing iShowSpeed and then I got an injury? We have competitions that have been scheduled for this week. How are you going to cancel those races? They have already made arrangements like flights and appearance fees,” he said.
At the heart of his message to the students was the importance of knowing one’s worth.
“When you get to a place where you know your value, that is the most important thing you can ever carry with you. Nobody can ever joke with your name because you understand the value that you bring to the table,” he said.
Over the past year, iShowSpeed has built a reputation for adrenaline-filled challenges against elite sprinters. In late 2024, he raced Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles over 50 metres. While Lyles cruised to victory, Speed’s explosive start and raw pace caught the attention of the athletics world.
Never short of confidence, the streamer later claimed he could beat world champion Sha’Carri Richardson. The American sprinter swiftly shut down the idea, insisting Speed would first need to endure a full day of elite training.
Sprint legend Usain Bolt also weighed in in June 2025, sending Speed a video message acknowledging his natural speed while offering to coach him. The two later met on a track in November, where Bolt playfully humbled the YouTuber and suggested he would struggle to beat Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce over 40 meters.
