Letsile Tebogo doesn’t just win races—he pulls people out of floods, too.
Last week, as Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, was hit with severe flooding, the 21-year-old Olympic champion was spotted driving through waist-deep water, rescuing stranded drivers and their submerged cars.
No cameras, no press—just Tebogo in his truck, making sure people got home safely. Someone caught it on video, and before long, the internet was calling him “the people’s champion.“
Olympic 200m champion 🇧🇼Letsile Tebogo rescuing people who were trapped during severe floodingpic.twitter.com/HCMm0bpZFS
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) February 19, 2025
And honestly, what else would you call him? Here’s a guy who just last year became the first-ever Olympic gold medalist from Botswana, dusting Noah Lyles in the 200m final in Paris with a blazing 19.46 seconds—an African record, by the way.
That win was so huge that Botswana’s President declared a national holiday. But even with all that fame, Tebogo was out there last week, engine revving, pulling cars out of floodwaters like it was just another workout.
The floods in Gaborone have been no joke. Heavy rains turned streets into rivers, shut down schools, and caused major road closures. People were left stranded in their vehicles as the water kept rising. But instead of sitting at home watching the disaster unfold on TV, Tebogo was out there, using his truck to tow people to safety.
Our Champ @tebogo_letsile_, we salute you motho waga matshaba le kgomo… pic.twitter.com/hKQMgoh6I5
— Dave Pk Moilwa (@DavePMoilwa) February 19, 2025
It’s the kind of thing that makes you realize Tebogo is more than just an athlete. Sure, he’s already one of the greatest sprinters Africa has ever produced, having broken records at every level since he was a teenager.
But moments like this? They show what kind of person he is. In a world where most celebrities would just tweet about the flood, Tebogo was out there fixing the problem.
