By Adnaan Mohamed
Every runner knows the moment when the rhythm of their stride begins to shape the road ahead. For veteran broadcaster Vaylen Kirtley, that moment arrived far from any finish line, in Athens in 2004.
“The first major event I covered at the national broadcaster was the Paralympics,” she recalls.
The experience did more than fill airtime. It set her internal compass.
“Covering disability sport at such a formative part of my career laid the foundation to understand that the power of sport to transform and unify, is truly unique.”
That early assignment became the starting gun of a philosophy that has paced her career for more than two decades. Now, it finds its most personal expression on the open road at the Two Oceans Half Marathon powered by BYD.
This time, she will not be narrating the race. She will be living it alongside her daughter.
“My daughter, despite my best efforts, didn’t really enjoy running,” she laughs.
Then, like a runner finding their stride mid-race, something shifted. During her first year at university, her daughter discovered a quiet passion for running. What was once unfamiliar terrain became shared ground.
“Now it’s something we can do together, and I am so excited.”
For a first official half marathon, the choice of race carried weight. Two Oceans is not a route you stumble into. It is a ribbon of road woven into South Africa’s sporting soul, as iconic as the climbs it demands and the views it rewards.
For Kirtley, it is also deeply personal. She has called the race from the heights of Constantia Nek, run the Ultra in 2014, and tackled the Long Trail in 2019. Yet, she marks 2026 as the year that matters most.
Their run is more than a shared milestone. It is a moving tribute to purpose.
They will take to the course in support of Jumping Kids, a non-profit dedicated to empowering children with lower limb amputations or mobility challenges.
The organisation provides prosthetics, rehabilitation, education access, and opportunities in sport. Its mission echoes the belief Kirtley has carried since Athens, that sport is not only competition, it is transformation in motion.
“We see the power of sport in the performances of our national heroes and in events like the Comrades, the Dusi, the Midmar Mile,” she says.
The Two Oceans belongs in that same breath. On race day, each kilometre will carry more than effort. It will carry memory, connection, and purpose.
Like a long-distance run, the journey stretches beyond the visible horizon, powered by something deeper than pace.
To support their run, visit www.jumpingkids.org.za
(Jumping Kids, Reg. no: 2009/018078/08)
