Thulani Hlatshwayo has reflected on his incredible journey, which has seen him overcome the odds that were heavily stacked against him to become the national team captain and leading one of the biggest clubs in South Africa, embodying the adidas attitude of Impossible Is Nothing.
It was 19 years ago that Tyson would leave the comfort of his mother's home, familiar surroundings, and his friends to pursue a dream that at the time, seemed far-fetched.
The 12-year-old had never been outside of Johannesburg before his 18-hour bus trip to an unfamiliar Ikamva, a place where his footballing career was shaped, his leadership skills honed, and a platform provided to produce one of the great leaders of the local game.
"Having an Impossible is Nothing attitude means that anything is possible in life. I grew up in Soweto as a youngster. I left my mom and I left Soweto to go to Ajax Cape Town, not knowing what to expect. I had to endure a lot of new things like the first time being on a flight. My first trip to Cape Town was with an InterCape bus for 18 hours and for me to get onto that bus not knowing how I am going to get there and what kind of treatment I would get there, meant that I was leaving my comfort zone to chase the sport that I loved," he said in a recent interview hosted by adidas.
Tyson recalls how he would often sacrifice his weekends, spending hours on the dusty streets of Senoane where he would move between the different age groups of the famous Gunners team, where his traits as a leader had already been identified.
"Looking back, I used to play on dusty fields, at Senoane Gunners I played in all the age divisions. On a Saturday and Sunday, I hardly had a weekend to myself because I knew that I would be playing football.
"I had no life!
"But I did all of this because there was something I was pursuing. Even the coaches during those days could see it in me. There was a sense of leadership that they identified in me at an early age. I used to count jerseys, socks, and the rest of the equipment before I went home. For me to find myself where I am at now, it shows that Impossible is Nothing. Today I am a captain, I am a leader."
Because he was honed for this role, moulded, and sculpted from a young age, the 31-year-old says pressure is part of the package. Although, he says, the pressure faced as a captain of both the national team and Orlando Pirates is nothing compared to the challenges people face in everyday life.
"Pressure is part of everyday life; it will always be there.
"I am doing what I love, so this is not pressure. Pressure is a father who is working so hard to provide for his family. Pressure is someone who is dying in hospital. Pressure is someone who has to fight throughout the day just to put food on the table… that is pressure. For us to be able to do what we love, we have to be thankful.
"Playing the sport that I love, being a captain is a role that I know. Pirates is a team that I grew up supporting and it's a team that I always wanted to play for, and I am privileged to be able to captain the very same team that I grew up supporting."
