Author: Modern Athlete

In 2010, my year started of with a bang, winning
the Friendly City Marathon in PE in January and putting in a good show at the
South African Triathlon Champs in Germiston. Then one evening, while out
running down Milner Street, Grahamastown, I stood on a stone, fell and suffered
a hairline fracture to my ankle. And this happened a week before the SA
Duathlon Champs. I was angry and devastated, and to make things worse, I got
retrenched from my job in between all the happenings!

 

So I was on crutches for six weeks, but I
remained positive throughout this very frustrating period. Then two weeks
before coming out of my cast, I heard that I had been selected to represent my
country at the World Triathlon Champs in Budapest, Hungary. The inevitable questions
followed… How would I raise R27,000 to enable me to travel, and would I be
able to get fit enough in time to compete? But I was determined, and when my hubby,
Steve and I discussed the situation, we agreed, “why not, if not!”

 

GIVING IT A GO

Fortunately, my injury healed nicely and I had
exactly eight weeks to get fit and raise R27 000. The first two weeks of rehab
were very intense and I had physio two hours each day. It was very painful, and
teaching myself to walk again and getting my muscle strength back required a
lot of courage and patience. My first swimming session started the day after I
came out of my cast, and Steve still took me to the pool on my crutches – I managed
to swim 750m, only being able to kick with one leg. My first few cycling sessions
were done on my indoor trainer until I was capable of using my legs on my TT
bike.

 

But still no running… I only started running
four weeks before leaving for Worlds! My first run was 1.6km, which took me
over 25 minutes to complete! I was basically teaching myself to run again after
12 weeks of no running, and I can say with pride that one week before leaving
for Worlds, I did a 4km time trial in 16:24. In between, I was still trying to
raise the funding I needed, by baking muffins, selling bacon and egg rolls, selling
raffle tickets, and organising a fun run. I also had more than 50 sponsors
donating towards my trip – the Grahamstown community really came together to
send their athlete overseas!

 

BACK UP TO SPEED

After eight weeks of blood sweat and tears, I
was able to compete, despite so many people telling me I would never make it. I
raced in the 30 to 34 age group, competing against 68 other entrants, and in both
the swim and the cycle I was heating up the pace. Then I hit the run, and
despite not being at my strongest, I still managed to overtake a few athletes.
By the time I finished, I was buggered, but ecstatic to find I had set a new PB
for the standard triathlon by over 13 minutes! Through the willpower of my mind
and the Grace of God, I learnt that all things are possible.

Clandestine meetings, allegations of financial
mismanagement, board members being suspended, to-and-fro court battles… that
has been the norm at ASA in 2013. At one stage a large faction of the Board,
led by Hendrik Ramaala, tried to oust President James Evans, resulting in them
being suspended, which prompted the South
African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) to once again suspend the entire
ASA Board and take over the running of the sport by appointing interim
administrator Zola Majavu. However, the International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF) then got involved, telling SASCOC to hand the sport back
over to ASA, or face ASA’s suspension from international athletics – and thus
the exclusion of SA athletes from all competition outside of SA.

 

Sadly,
SASCOC reacted by suspending ASA’s membership and announcing that our athletes
will not be selected for Olympic, Commonwealth or other World Games teams until
further notice. (ASA can, however, still send teams to World Champs and African
Champs, and athletes can continue to participate overseas as individuals). The
Olympic body also said it would withhold financial support for athletes in the
Operation Excellence (OPEX) Programme, but subsequently withdrew that decision.
While the impasse between ASA and SASCOC has yet to be solved, James says that
bridges have been mended within ASA and the way forward is being discussed and
planned.

 

Modern Athlete (MA): What is the status of ASA?

James Evans (JE): ASA is still the
national federation for athletics in South Africa and recognised by the
IAAF as such. The office and the Board are recovering from the mayhem earlier
this year. It will take time, but Hendrick and I are working with the staff in
the office to get everything in place going forward. Officially we have still
not been notified by SASCOC that we have been suspended or why. There have only
been media reports. We have asked SASCOC for clarification, but they have not
replied.

 

MA: What is the IAAF’s position?

JE: They have made it clear that they will not permit
interference with their national federations. While they regard South Africa as
one of the top athletics nations, we are but one of 212 and they cannot make a
special dispensation for our country. If, in any way, the laws of our country
permit interference and anyone acts in that way, they will have no choice but
to banish us into the wilderness as we were in prior to 1992. That is the last
thing that any athletics person should want.

 

MA: So should our athletes be setting their sights on qualification for
the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games?

JE: Since the Commonwealth Games team is out of our
control, it is difficult to answer. However, 2014 is the African Senior
Championships, which are just after the Commonwealth Games, so athletes will need
to be in shape in any event.

 

MA: What is the current financial position of ASA, are there potential
sponsors on the horizon, and what does the deal between ASA and the SABC entail?

JE: The broadcast rights contract with the SABC is
confidential, but in broad strokes, they bought the rights to televise all
athletics events. That fee covers the costs of our teams and running the
federation. The SABC also has certain obligations to televise certain events,
but because of the disruptions this year, the contract was not fully carried
out.

 

MA: With track & field struggling, will provinces, clubs or
professional events companies be allowed to organise top level (permit) track
meets in order to build the sport up again?

JE: For the past two years we have been attempting to get
clubs, provinces and organisers to put on one-day meetings, as it is done
everywhere else in the world. Only Athletics Central North West and North West University took up the challenge in
2013. We have asked for 2014 events, and have one additional meeting in Cape Town, but they are
the only ones. This is disappointing. For years people complained that they
weren’t allowed to organise permit meetings. Now that we want them to, they are
nowhere to be seen.

 

MA: Given the messy cancellation of the Soweto
Marathon, how do we ensure less cancellations
of events, and smooth organisation of those that stay on the calendar?

JE: Soweto Marathon was a
disappointment because Central Gauteng Athletics and the clubs in Soweto demanded that they
be given the race to organise, then they cancelled it! We had a sponsor
approach us and I know that the City of Joburg
always supports the event, so we can only surmise that there were other
reasons. We need to change the system in SA, where events get added and cancelled
at a moment’s notice. It is not good for the sport, and we need to make sure
that when people say they want to organise an event, they have the financial
and organisational capacity to do so.

 

MA: I believe existing road races throughout the country are now being
invited to host SA Championship races in conjunction with their event, instead
of ASA organising stand-alone events?

JE: Yes, that will apply to road, trail and mountain
races. (Incidentally, the IAAF is looking towards the same solution for the
World Half Marathon Championships.) ASA’s job is not to micro-manage the sport,
but to provide the framework for the sport. That is not well-understood in SA,
where people expect the national federation to finance and organise everything.
Nowhere else in the world does it work like that.

 

MA: You have been criticised for your leadership style and decisions,
not to mention accusations of financial mismanagement. This must be affecting
your ability to get on with the job…

JE: I am glad you say allegations, because eight months
later I am still waiting for any evidence to back the allegations. I think by
now it is safe to say that there is none. I am just disappointed that people
are quick to make and believe allegations, but are far less interested in whether
they are true or not. Also, the media are going to have to look at themselves
long and hard. The Press Code is clear about the need to verify sources and
thereafter to get comment before stories are run. However, most journalists
merely repeat allegations without worrying about the truth or the harm they do.
The fact that they didn’t question why, at any stage, or ask for proof of
allegations, is a damning indictment of the media in general.

 

MA: So what is the road forward?

JE: I have repeatedly said that we need to relook and
modernise our sport. Much of the present structure and mindset is based on the
1980s and 90s, but the sport has moved on internationally. Our constitutional
framework is clumsy and out of date. In fact, so out of date that the Companies
Act forced a number of automatic amendments in May, which we should have done
ourselves. We also have to amend our constitution to bring it in line with the
IAAF Constitution, and the National Sports Plan and resolutions taken at the
National Sports Indaba. This has to happen before the end of the year, or we
risk losing government funding.

 

MA: What are the most likely changes?

JE: There needs to be a realignment between the
commercial management of the sport and the pure sport-related decision-making
process. Athletics has to become a commercially viable sport and we cannot rely
on handouts anymore. For that to happen, commercially experienced people need
to guide that part of the federation. Also, we cannot, in terms of the National
Sports Plan, continue with the current demarcations of our members. We have unified
political provinces, but within Gauteng and
the Western Cape
we have three ASA provincial members each. We need to follow the District and
Provincial boundaries, similar to what football has done, and that may mean
standing on the toes of some provincial empires, but if we want to optimise our
funding sources, then it is no longer open for debate.

 

MA: So is there light at the end of the tunnel?

JE: Yes. With the IAAF supporting us and most of the
athletics people working together again, Hendrick and I are confident that we
can rebuild ASA to where it should be, both nationally and internationally.

It’s been a breakthrough year for Annie Bothma. The
17-year-old from Stellenbosch has run the fastest times in 2013 by a junior for
10km (36:47) and 15km (56:41), and she was selected by Western Province to run
at the SA Cross Country Champs in February, where she finished third, despite a
twisted ankle, and was selected to go to Poland for the World Champs in March.
Then in April she claimed the SA Junior 5000m title on the track, despite
running barefoot and severely burning her feet, and in May she added the junior
title at the SA 10km Champs. At the time of writing, she was also on course to
retain her junior title in the Spar Women’s Series Grand Prix.

 

And all this despite suffering from debilitating bouts
of illness. “It all started when I almost died of scarlet fever when I was six.
Since then I have struggled with my health, especially since grade five, losing
a lot of weight and spending more than a year in hospital if you put it
together. I started running in grade seven to escape the problems, and the more
I ran, the more I wanted to run – and then I started to become good at it. I fell
ill again at the World Champs and didn’t do that well, but I believe that made
me mentally stronger, which allowed me to come back and win the two SA titles.”

 

Annie lives with her parents and two brothers and is
currently in grade 11 at Bloemhof High School. Her other passion is art, and
she runs her own small business selling textiles and craft products to local
businesses. She hasn’t decided yet what she wants to do after school, but says,
“If I could, I would just run. I’m planning on taking a gap year after matric
to see what I can do with my running, and then taking it from there. I want to
try qualify for the Olympic 10,000m in Rio 2016, or else I am going to work for
the marathon later, because the further I go, the stronger and faster I get!”

Traditionally, the title of ‘World’s Greatest Athlete’
was given to the man who won the Olympic decathlon event. After all, the
decathlon comprises ten events over two intense days of competition: 100m, long
jump, shot-put, high jump, 400m, 1 500m, 110m hurdles, discus, javelin and the
pole vault. The event works on a points system, instead of relying on podium
finishes, so while one athlete may be a fast sprinter, he still needs to score
well in the other disciplines in order to do well overall in the competition. “A
decathlete is like a handyman that has to know his way around everything,” says
Olympian and SA record holder Willem Coertzen. “It’s important to know the
basics instead of technical detail with specific training. Your fitness needs
to be tops and you have to be patient to find the balance.”

 

GIVING IT A GO

Willem says the first time he noticed decathlon was during
the 2004 Olympics in Athens, when he was studying his teaching Honours at the
University of Potchefstroom. “I thought I’d have a go and pitched up at an athletics
meet in Bloemfontein. I found that I took to it, so after my studies I moved on
to Europe for developed training and I found a coach in Greg Richards, who has
a decathlon background himself.” That saw Willem living in London for seven
years, although he says he struggled to adapt to a new culture and the busyness
of city life at first.

 

However, he was soon competing regularly for the Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers club, and in
2007 he won the South of England Decathlon Championship with a score of 7245 points. A
year later he returned to SA to grab his first national title, followed by a
silver medal at the African Championships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “It was my
first major competition outside nationals and even though I had to deal with
the high altitude, I was happy,” he says. “Then I surprisingly won the bronze
in the pole vault – a day after my decathlon! I was just asked to fill in and
come in at any height, but then I got the medal!”

 

GETTING STRONGER

After the elation of those championships, Willem had
an operation on an injured groin muscle and was out of action for four months,
but the rehabilitation only made him stronger. A few months later, he set a new
national record of 7907 points with his third place finish in the Multistars
Decathlon meet in Italy. Then in 2009, he improved on that score with an
African record 8054 points at the Hypo-Meeting in Austria, despite only
finishing 11^th, and that secured his selection for the World Champs
that same year. At the World Champs in Berlin, Willem finished 14^th
with 8146 points, setting six new personal bests in the process!

 

In the lead-up to the 2012 Olympics, Willem once again
improved the SA record, scoring 8244 points at the SA Champs, and he was
selected for the London Games. “I made the decision a few years before that I
would be at London 2012, and the Games stand out because it was personal for me
– everything was 10 minutes away from where I stayed!” However, he was
disappointed to only place ninth after scoring 8173 points.

 

FULL-TIME FOCUS

Willem moved back to Potchefstroom six months ago and continues
to focuse on his training, doing five to seven hours a day. Mondays and
Wednesdays are spent on weight training and throws, while Tuesdays and
Thursdays are focused on hurdles, running (400m, 1 500m and long runs) and
throws. He uses his weekends for long jump and high jump, and keeps his Fridays
for rest. “I’m on a break now before conditioning and training mid-November.
I’m aiming for a gold or silver at the Commonwealth Games next year, and I’ll
be looking at the next World Champs. There’s always Rio 2016, too!”

 

On top of his demanding training schedule, Willem still
finds time to be with his wife Odette and three-year-old daughter Wihane. “I’ve
learnt to cope with the routine. Sometimes I skip the track to run at home, and
after training it’s about keeping up with how active Wihane is!”

You can follow Willem on Twitter: @WillemCoertzen

Having focused on the full Ironman distance in recent
years, training for the considerably shorter Olympic distance of 1.5km swim,
40km bike and 10km run meant that Ken and Rob had to alter their usual training
programme. After all, the last time Ken actually raced such a short triathlon
was in 2004 in Cancun, Mexico, where he placed fourth in his age group. “For
shorter triathlons, you have to readjust from start to finish – and go out
strong from start to finish,” says Ken. “Our swim sprints therefore went down
to 50m, 100m, 200m, while our rides went down to short 10km, 20km and 30km time
trials. Our running was reduced to quick track sessions.”

 

That change in focus did the trick for the veteran
pair from Johannesburg, because Ken and Rob went into the recent ITU World
Triathlon Grand Finale in London with much improved speed, and it showed in Ken’s
first place in the 70-74 age category in 2:24:12 as well as Rob’s seventh place
in the 60-64 category in 2:12:18. “I remember having a good swim and ride at
the tri, but got lost in transition after the bike leg. Eventually I tracked
back and had a good run,” says Ken, who then, at the last minute, also entered
the pair in the London Aquathlon World Champs, where Ken claimed another gold
medal in his age group in 41:52 and Rob took fifth in his age group in 39:24!

 

FRIENDS IN TRAINING

These incredible performances are just the latest in a
long list of achievements by Ken and Rob thanks to their highly successful
friendship and training partnership. “I would never have got the results
without Rob by my side through training every day,” says Ken. “Rob and I train
wisely and consistently, and I think that comes with experience. Through the
years that we’ve been training together, we’ve found a programme that’s suited
us. It’s always great to have someone around you motivating you to push on and
work harder.”

 

Ken also feels that he needs to up his game because
he’s a decade older than Rob, and that has pushed him on to greater
achievements. “We did the Comrades, Ironman, Duzi and Midmar Mile together, and
we climbed Kilimanjaro, and it’s great to share those experiences,” says Ken.
“I remember going to Kona in 2001 by myself and it’s not the same – you need
someone to share your sport with.” The pair met at Jeppe Quandom Athletics Club
in late 1997 when Rob started training for his first Comrades Marathon. “Rob took
a drunken bet with a friend that he could do Comrades and so joined the club. That’s
when we started training together, and with Rob’s background in playing and
coaching pro baseball, I knew that he had a coach’s mentality and structure.”

 

After that first event training together, they have
been inseparable, with Rob responsible for fine-tuning their training schedule,
normally working back from the race date of Ironman to determine when to do
their long swims, runs and rides. These days the duo normally fit in an
impressive two training sessions a day, and 13 sessions a week, with four days
a week set for running. They also do a cycle-to-run session once or twice a
week, focusing on speed, while adding two days a week for strength work
sessions in the gym. Next year, they’ll once again be running Comrades together,
as Rob was there for Ken’s 20^th run, and in 2014 Rob will run his 10^th.
“We’re in the same boat, Rob and I. We’re both around that age, are divorced,
our children are older, and we are in a time of our lives where we can afford
to focus on our training.”

 

RUNNING STAR

Ken only took up running at age 32, joining Jeppe and working
up to his first Comrades at 39, but he has gone on to earn nine silver medals
in his 21 Comrades, with a PB of 7:05, and has also run 13 Old Mutual Two
Oceans ultras, with six silver medals to his name and a fastest finish of 3:54.
His name is plastered all over the Jeppe Honours Boards, thanks to his
impressive times across all distances. Furthermore, in 14 Ironman events, Ken has
finished on the podium in his age category 12 times! “I did the Comrades to
Comrades for years and needed a change and new goals, so then it was my start
at Ironman in 2000,” he says, “and now that I’m experienced and getting older
and doing Ironman year in and year out, I still don’t feel the need to stop. I
want to do as much as I can.”

 

Back in 2011, Ken also won his then 65-69 age group at
the SunSmart Ironman Western Australia in a magnificent time of 11:42, smashing
the previous course record (12:06) by almost 30 minutes – with Rob placing third
in the 55-59 category. Ken has also held several national and Gauteng triathlon
champs titles in his age group and posted several wins at Ironman South Africa
70.3. Last year, on his third trip to the Ironman World Champs in Kona, he finished
fifth in 14:40:49 – and this after breaking his collarbone several weeks earlier
and swimming with one arm for a while. Next year, Ken and Rob are looking to
once again do both the half Ironman and Ironman South Africa events, as well as
Comrades. “We’re also hoping to do the Ironman in Cairns, Australia in 2015,
but there are obviously huge expenses in the sport,” says Ken. “Still, we’ve
been all over! Cancun, Ohio, Sweden, Kona and Nice. It’s been such a splendid
experience.”

 

When asked how he stays so sprightly at his age, he
says he doesn’t know the answer. “Some guys tell me they wish they could
perform like me when they’re my age. I guess I’ve just had sport all around me
and that’s the secret,” he explains. “My running has always been consistent,
even though there’s a bit of a slack off after an event, but it’s not long
before Rob and I are at it and focused all over again. I’ve been fortunate and
I’ll do it until I can’t anymore.”

Nuts and seeds are plant-based proteins that contain fibre and a combination of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are also rich in plant sterols and heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Some of them contain omega 3 fatty acids and can help to improve the balance of cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. However, nuts and seeds are also calorie-dense, so to get their health benefits without breaking the calorie bank, its best to substitute them for other foods in your diet, particularly those high in saturated fat. This can be achieved with one small handful a day.

HEALTHIEST NUTS

• Almonds have as much calcium as milk, and contain magnesium, vitamin E, selenium and lots of fibre. They can lower cholesterol and help prevent cancer.
• Walnuts are extremely good for your heart and brain, and contain ellagic acid, a cancer-fighting antioxidant. They are also a good source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based form of omega-3.
• Pecans are rich in antioxidants and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
• Brazil nuts not only contain poly- and monounsaturated fats, but also contain more than 100 percent of your daily recommended value for the antioxidant selenium.
• Pine nuts have vitamins A, B, D and E, and contain 70% of your body’s daily required amino acids.
• Cashews are rich in minerals like copper, magnesium, zinc, iron and biotin. They are actually a low-fat nut, and like olive oil, have a high concentration of oleic acid, which is good for your heart. (Note: Cashews are not recommended for cancer patients due to potential levels of fungus.)

HEALTHIEST SEEDS

• Flaxseeds are the best source of omega-3s and the phytochemical Lignan, a super antioxidant that helps fight cancer. They also contain a lot of fibre and can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
• Sunflower seeds also help prevent heart disease and cancer with phytochemicals, folate, vitamin E, selenium and copper.
• Chia seeds are incredibly healthy, rich in omega-3 oils, protein, antioxidants, calcium and fibre.
• Pumpkin seeds are great for your immune system with lots of antioxidants (carotenoids), omega-3 fatty acids and zinc.
• Sesame seeds are a good source of calcium, magnesium, zinc, fibre, iron, B1 and phosphorus. They can lower blood pressure and protect against liver damage, and have also been linked to prevention of many diseases like arthritis, asthma, migraine headaches, menopause and osteoporosis.

GET YOUR DAILY FIX
To incorporate them in your daily diet, you can simply grab a handful of raw, unsalted nuts or seeds for an extremely satisfying and healthy snack, or make your own small bags of trail mix for a quick pick-me-up any time of the day. (If you can’t eat nuts and seeds without salt, buy them raw, roast them and sprinkle on a pinch of sea salt.) Other great ways to eat them include:

• Add nuts or seeds, especially chopped almonds and ground flaxseeds, to your salads, hot or cold cereals, yoghurt, smoothies or muffins. Remember that flaxseed has to be ground to receive its full benefits.
• Grind nuts up super fine to take the place of flour or breadcrumbs in recipes, or incorporate with breadcrumbs.
• Toast unsalted nuts like walnuts or pine nuts in a hot skillet and add to pasta, stir-fries, rice or vegetable dishes.
• Nut and seed butters are always so delicious, but stick to no more than one teaspoon a day. Try cooking with macadamia, peanut, sesame or grape seed oil – it’s best not to cook with flaxseed, hemp or walnut oil, they are much better for salad dressings.

Storage tip: The healthy fats in nuts and seeds can oxidise, destroying their nutritional value and their taste, so buy them in small quantities and store in a cool, dry place. You can also store any shelled nuts or seeds in an airtight container in your refrigerator or freezer.