Bound for China

Have Hypnosis, Will Go Far

Next time
you go on a long run or ride with your training partners, or participate in a
race, take note of the chatter around you and you’ll probably hear one or more
of the following things: “I just couldn’t keep up with the bunch… I just can’t
seem to hit my goal time… My mind wasn’t in the right place today.” This could
even be you talking – and if so, don’t feel bad, because many athletes struggle
to improve their speed and their times, or find it hard to maintain motivation
for training, or battle a fear of pain, or even a fear of something specific to
their sport, like open water swimming. Most of these issues are associated with
the mind – that little voice that says, “I can’t, I am tired, I need to walk,”
or worse, “I am going to bail.”

 

The good
news is that hypnotherapy has proven to have a therapeutic effect, creating a
breakthrough for many athletes to get past the barrier created in the mind,
says hypnotherapist Arthur Long, managing director of The International Academy
of Hypnosis. He has 47 years of hypnosis and hypnotherapy experience and runs
his own practice in Fourways, Johannesburg, called Hypnotherapy-SA. He first
saw the wonderful results of hypnosis in treating stroke victims and bypassing
damaged neural pathways in people who had suffered back damage. Later he met
the hypnotherapist working with the highly successful Australian Olympic team,
who introduced him to sports therapies, which Art has subsequently used when working
with numerous athletes, including numerous Olympians, and helped 11 athletes reach
world champion status.

 

WHY HYPNOTHERAPY?

Arthur claims
that an athlete’s motivation and drive can be destroyed by having the wrong
coach or getting the wrong training advice or feedback on performance, because
people relive words without realising it, and often they remember bad remarks
in particular. “This causes unrealistic restrictions in the brain and once an
athlete has branded themselves with the ‘I can’t’ label, they seldom overcome
that. Everything you think affects every atom of your brain, and the brain can
add to a problem and make things worse, but hypnotherapy helps athletes to
break the bad agreements they have formed in their minds, which are inevitably
holding them back, and to control competition nerves, deal with competition
conditions, and push themselves to a higher performance.”

 

Arthur also
says that an athlete could have an issue at home or at work that causes them to
under-perform, as their mind is not on the race. “Hypnotherapy can help the
athlete to divide situations and leave the work and home troubles aside while concentrating
on the race at hand.” He also says the mind power of a typical Comrades runner
is incredible, and it is because they deal with the moment at hand, many who
struggle are struggling due to previous programming in the mind.

 

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Hypnotherapy
sessions for athletes usually last 90 minutes. The first 40 minutes are spent discussing
what you feel are your weak points or problems, followed by 40 minutes in which
the hypnotherapist will change your thought process to alter the way you have
been thinking, which can sometimes be deeply engrained in the mind, in order to
make a breakthrough. Arthur says he purely uses words in his practice, to
override the negativity in the subconscious, and it all depends on the athlete
as to how many sessions are needed.

 

Arthur
claims that many athletes who underachieve have experienced an unpleasant event
in their earlier years, but he doesn’t believe in rehashing the past. Instead, he
teaches the subconscious to let go and thus creates a strong confidence in the
athlete that cannot be created on the surface of the mind. “The effect this
process has on the athlete is incredible. A weight lifts from their shoulders
and they go into a state of utter relaxation, and that is when the performance
picks up dramatically. Words can either make or break an athlete,” he concludes.

If you
would like to have a session with Arthur, contact him on
[email protected] or 083 384 0907. If you are interested in joining the International
Academy of Hypnosis, contact Lindy-Lee Shepherd at [email protected] or
083 685 6263.

Watch it!

Peanut Power!

Don’t worry! Peanut butter offers a nutrient-rich
addition to all snacks, meals and desserts. In this day and age of energy bars,
protein powders and other quick fixes, many athletes forget about real foods
such as peanut butter. It’s tasty, inexpensive, satisfying and nourishing!

 

The rule is to consume an average of two tablespoons
of peanut butter if you want to stay on the healthy end of the peanut butter
consumption scale. That will supply you with an average of 9g of protein. This
is why peanut butter on wholegrain toast, for example, makes for a great
breakfast or pre-workout snack. You can also incorporate two tablespoons in a
smoothie with ice, low-fat milk, a banana and a dollop of honey.

 

HEALTHY FATS

Peanut butter contains both good unsaturated fats and
bad saturated fats. Fortunately, the majority of fat in peanut butter is
unsaturated. The recommended two tablespoons of peanut butter provides about
190 calories in total, of which 140 is considered to be fat calories, or about
16g of total fat. Of these 16g of fat, about 13g are from unsaturated fats and
3g are from saturated fats. This means that it is actually a great source of
healthy fats. A healthy body needs a good supply of healthy fats consumed in
moderation, and like olive oil and avocado, peanut butter is a good source.

 

A two-tablespoon serving of peanut butter will also
supply you with 3g of fibre. The fibre in food contributes to a feeling of
fullness that can help with maintaining a healthy body weight, and also
promotes regular bowel movements by maintaining a healthy gut environment. By
enjoying peanut butter on one slice of wholegrain bread, you can contribute 6g
to 8g of fibre towards the recommended target of 20g to 35g per day.

 

CHOOSING RIGHT

?        
All natural (organic)
peanut butter is a good choice if you want to minimise your intake of unhealthy
fats and preservatives. Organic peanut butter usually has peanuts as the main
ingredient, while others (non-organic) can sometimes contain other artificial
ingredients to enhance the taste.

?        
The sugar content on
the peanut butter should be one of the decisive factors. Commercial peanut
butter brands can sometimes contain a lot of added sugar to enhance flavour.

?        
Look out for the
sodium content on the ingredients list. Again, natural brands usually have less
sodium, and too much sodium can also mask the nutty flavour.

 

So, don’t be shy to use the power of peanut butter! It’s
one of the easiest ingredients you can use and it can definitely give you a
little push just before a run. Just make sure you stick to the two tablespoon ‘rule’
and your body will benefit.

Heart Rate Zones

Join the Club

It all started as a ‘career
move’ in the investment field, but soon turned into a career move in a totally
different direction. “When I s
tarted at STANLIB in
2009, I was 24 and had never done a triathlon, but my boss was doing the
Ironman 70.3 and I thought it would be good to spend time with the big man,”
jokes Travis. Little did he know then he was about to launch a multisport
career that could see him get to the 2016 Rio Olympics!

 

“I did some more training and then came my big
breakthrough, making the Gauteng Duathlon team for the SA Champs, where I
finished third in the 20-24 age category and made the SA team for the World
Champs. There I came seventh in my category and 33rd overall, out of
750 competitors, and when I got back, I decided this is what I want to do,
because s
ince I was a kid I wanted
to represent my country, and if possible race at the Olympics. So I made the
decision to resign at the beginning of 2010, so that I could follow my dream.

 

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

However, that was not the end of Travis’ stay at
STANLIB. Having accepted his resignation as a stock and investment broker, the
company then asked him to start up and manage the
STANLIB Sports Club. The company’s thinking
was that sport has the ability to unite a company and break down inter-departmental
barriers, by building relationships and bonds amongst employees at all levels.
Also, healthy employees are more productive and driven.

 

“It was a great opportunity for me, as I wasn’t making that much money from
triathlon, and the new job allowed me to work flexi-time and train while still
earning a salary,” says Travis.
“Now I go in to the office three times a
week for a few hours and work from home the rest of the time, which allows me
good balance between full-time training and still being able to work, stimulate
my mind and stay in the corporate world.”

 

Travis explains that the
Club has about 200 active members taking part in boot camps, Pilates, netball,
soccer, running, fitness competitions, corporate sporting events and cycling,
and he also interacts with many more of the 600-plus employees about their
personal fitness and nutrition goals. “I think being a ‘regular’ employee
initially, and knowing many people within the company, has allowed me to link
with all departments and employees, and have an understanding of life at
STANLIB and what is needed from a sport and wellness side to improve the health
of the employees and create a better environment to work,” says Travis.

 

PERSONAL GOALS

With time to focus on his training, Travis has posted some
terrific results since turning pro in 2010. That first year he won the All
Africa Triathlon Champs and was third at the All Africa Duathlon Champs, and
made the SA teams for both Triathlon and Duathlon World Champs. In 2011 he was
crowned SA Duathlon Champion, placed first in his category at Ironman 70.3 SA,
and won the 5150 Bela Bela Triathlon, thus becoming the first SA athlete to
qualify for the 5150 Hyvee Final in the USA in 2012. That year he also retained
his SA title, plus added second at African Duathlon Champs, third at SA Triathlon
Champs and fourth at African Triathlon Champs. Added to that, he qualified for
the top level World Triathlon Series event in Madrid.

 

Looking ahead, Travis has his sights firmly set on Rio
2016. “That Olympic dream is what it’s all about, and I resigned in the first
place to give myself that chance. The qualifying period starts in June 2014,
and I am feeling confident, although I need to improve my swim to compete with
the best in the world,” he says. “I do miss the vibe and excitement of the
financial world, but I don’t miss the pressure and stress, and I have no
regrets about making the change. Being able to do what I love most in sport,
while trying to build the company from a wellness perspective, is a much better
balance for me
.”

The Right Brew for You

Bafana Runner

Glen Salmon admits he didn’t feel like doing any
running whatsoever when he hung up his boots last year. “After 16 years on the
soccer field, I felt I had pushed my body far enough, but my body craves work –
and I wanted to shed those kilo’s that were coming on. So now I do 5km three to
four mornings of the week, and I enjoy my runs as a bit of alone time, just me
and the road, time to reflect, time to plot the way further.”

 

Nowadays the former pro is enjoying a slightly ‘slower’
life in Johannesburg with wife Rosalynd and their kids, Jaime (11) and Keagan
(8), but he is still involved in the game. “I want to bring my international
experience to bear on youth players, so would ideally like to be an assistant
coach at a senior level, with some management duties in the mix, while also
working with juniors.”

 

TALENT SPOTTED

Glen (35) grew up in Durban before moving to Gauteng
and then turning pro with Supersport United at the end of 1996. He played there
until 1999, when he was signed by NAC Breda in Holland. “I was playing for the
SA under-23 side in a tournament in Toulon, France where I was scouted and
asked to go on trial at a club in Holland. Playing for the under-23s always
opens doors, but I was disappointed to be dropped just before the Sydney 2000
Olympic Games. I was one of the few guys in that team who had made the jump
overseas, so it was frustrating to be left out.”

 

On the up side, in February 2000 Glen was called up to
the national team for the first time and made his debut against Algeria. For
the next nine years he was often in the Bafana squad, but sadly only got onto
the field three times in total, remaining an unused sub much of the time. In
the meantime, he enjoyed a successful career in Europe, playing for NAC Breda and
FC Groningen in Holland, then PAOK in Greece before returning to Supersport in
2008 and playing there until his retirement. In all, he played 332 top level
club matches and scored 85 goals.

 

DISCIPLINE ESSENTIAL

As with any professional sport, Glen says it takes
commitment to be a successful pro footballer. “When I was a youngster I just played
as a hobby, but once I made the move overseas I really had to watch my
lifestyle, even though I had always watched what I ate and didn’t go out
partying. The nice thing about being a pro is that you can get away with eating
a bit of rubbish, because you’re training so hard, but you still have to look
after yourself. Also, I was lucky to be married and my kids were young, so pro
life suited me, whereas being single may have seen me being dragged into other
things.”

 

Of course, his job included a fair amount of running, although
he says soccer training has changed a bit. “It used to be a lot more ‘old
school,’ with heavy running sessions in the forest in pre-season. Now players
rather do more intense short running. Also, footballers enjoy playing with the
ball, so they’re not the happiest people when told to put on takkies and hit
the road! These days I feel a bit differently about running, though.”

From Dancer to Runner

NOBLE ENDEAVOUR

In 1997 she burst onto the Comrades scene, finishing
fifth woman (and second South African) in a time of 6:45:51 in her first
attempt at the race. Despite having finished in the top 20 at the Two Oceans
ultra five times from 1991 to 1995, and again in 1997, even she was surprised
by her performance. “I remember coming on to the field and seeing the time, and
then thinking the clock must be wrong!” says Charlotte.

 

That result saw her selected for the SA team for the
1997 World 100km Champs in Holland, where she finished an excellent fifth. The
1998 Comrades didn’t go quite as well, despite a creditable 21st position,
but in 1999 Charlotte was 10th and back amongst the gold medals, and
back in the SA World Champs team, finishing 14th and first SA woman in
Japan. Then, after bailing the 2000 World Champs race due to illness, she
decided to withdraw from competitive running. “I had grown tired of competing
and training so hard, and decided to focus on climbing, surfing and body
boarding. I never stopped running, I just didn’t want to compete any more.
Also, I had gotten married in 1999 and we decided it was time to start a
family.”

 

Today Charlotte (47) lives in Scarborough on the Cape
Peninsula with husband Andy De Klerk and their four kids, Sebastian (11), Clea
(9) and the five-year-old twins, Anna and Francis. Having studied medicine, she
works for the City of Cape Town as a GP at the Ocean View Clinic, and to
relieve stress and maintain her health, she still runs seven days a week. “I do
most of my running on tar, and take my running shoes everywhere so I can build
running into my daily programme, but I’m also up on the mountain once or twice
a week with the dogs.”

 

LATE BLOOMER

Charlotte was born and raised in Pretoria. After
school she moved to Cape Town to study at the UCT Medical School, planning to
specialise in paediatrics, but she says running took her in another direction.
“I worked fantastically hard for Matric, and at the same time started running
to take time out from studying. My school didn’t offer athletics, though, so I
just ran for myself. Then when I came to UCT in 1984, I found they had a really
good running club, and I began to take it more seriously. I ran my first
marathon that year, clocking 3:40, and began competing in cross country, but I
didn’t think I was a good runner then.”

 

She was at UCT for six years, followed by a year-long
internship in East London, then took a year off to travel overseas. “I ran
everywhere I went, because it’s a great way to see and experience places. For a
while I worked in a vineyard in France, and I would run to work each day,” she
says. Upon returning to SA in 1992, she began practicing medicine, but it
wasn’t long before her wanderlust returned. “In 1994 I did a six-week trip to
Peru and was given a crash-course in Alpine mountain climbing. When I came
back, I saw an advertisement for the planned 1996 SA Everest expedition, and I
applied.”

 

Although short-listed alongside the country’s top
female climbers, Charlotte was not selected, but she was then asked to join the
expedition as team doctor, and went with the team to Base Camp. Unfortunately, a
much-publicised falling out with expedition leader Ian Woodall saw her and
three of the climbers leave the team, including her future husband. Instead,
she joined a climbing expedition to Antarctica later that year.

 

GOING PLACES

It was then that Charlotte saw her running begin to
flourish. “Early in 1996 I had run a fast time in the Constantia Village 15km
and was approached by Frans Pienaar, who offered to coach me. Later that year I
ran a 2:56 in the Peninsula Marathon and made the Western Province team. Then
in early 1997 I was doing a diploma in Bloemfontein, so I decided on the spur
of the moment to move to Pretoria to train for Comrades with Nick Bester’s
group. The training went well, but I didn’t realise just how good my form was. Perhaps
all that high altitude work and time in the mountains contributed to my running
success in the next few years. At least, my family believes that is the case.”

Strokes Ahead of the Rest

Stand by Me

It all started at the beginning of 2011, when I
relocated from
Richards Bay to start a new and challenging career in Johannesburg. I soon found
it very lonely, despite being in such a big city, and after months of pouring
myself into my work, I realised that the city had become too much for me and
that my work had become my closest friend. So I moved to the outskirts of
Delmas, close enough to commute to
Johannesburg
but far enough from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was here where I
could get on a bicycle and ride for hours through the mealie fields and dirt
roads, reminding me of my childhood and just how much I missed being so free.

 

COMRADES RUNNER IN THE MAKING

A friend of mine from Pietermaritzburg needed help
with the handing out of medals at the finish line of Comrades 2012, and it was
the first time ever that I attended such a huge running event. After the last competitor finished, I set my
sights on running Comrades 2013. I also wanted to be an athlete, a competitor, and
a part of something good and beautiful, though I weighed 127kg at that stage!

 

But as the winter of 2012 arrived my excitement for
Comrades had disappeared. That which I desired so much had disappeared along
with the summer sun. Luckily for me, Juan Van Dyk, a friend I met on Facebook,
and his wonderful wife, Pierretta, invited me to participate in numerous winter
trail events and it was in the freezing cold bushveld where I rediscovered my
love for running.

 

Juan and Pierretta became more like family and I let
my good friends know that my biggest dream was to run Comrades. Shortly
afterwards, I received an e-mail from Juan with a training programme attached and
I suddenly realised that true friendship was the belief in the abilities of our
friends. I started losing weight and getting fit. It was not always easy, but I
was focused on the end result.

 

Kilometre after kilometre of travelling to races,
early mornings and late nights kept me on track. My running partner truly stood
by me, advised me, taught me and believed in me, and made me the runner I am
today. There were good days and there were bad days, but it was only one more
piece of the puzzle in gaining the experience I desperately needed to complete The
Ultimate Human Race. And so, on 2 June this year, I achieved my dream and
completed Comrades in a time of 10:33.

 

GIVING BACK

I want to give back that which I had received in the
past 11 months, and therefore today I run for Sudan
for Jesus (S4J), an organisation that helps to collect money for Sudan. Our
entire club also runs for ex-Springbok Joost Van der Westhuizen, and his J9
Foundation. We are trying to raise funds for the foundation and make athletes
aware of the illness Joost is battling with.

 

I have learnt many lessons along the way:

?        
Never say never again.

?        
Cherish and love the
people in your life who are there to help you.

?        
If you are not
capable of doing something, assist those who are.

?        
Give back as much as
possible.

?        
Remember: People are
in your life for a reason, or a season – or for always.

Portuguese Powerhouse

PROUDLY SAFFA!

Welsh Wonders

4th IAU
World Trail Running Championships (77km), Llanrwst, Wales, 6 July

 

More than 150
runners from 20 countries took on a course of five 15km laps set in the Gwydyr
Forest. Soaring UK temperatures and extreme conditions saw a high drop-out rate
amongst runners, but the SA team was one of the few with a full complement to
complete the race. The team did South Africa proud by claiming an overall seventh
position out of 18 countries.

 

“It was a great day for us, and we all fought our
battles in one way or another. We had amazing support along the route – our
team manager Altus Schreuder with Marcus Nienaber stationed at the 9km table; my
brother Graham and sister-in-law Marie, along with Marinda Cloete, manning the
table at the start/end of each lap; and Tracy’s mum Pauline and friend Christa
on the course, cheering us on. The vibe was fantastic and the energy amongst
the team extremely positive. South African trail running was represented in
full force, and on every count we held our heads high and did our country
proud.” – Linda Doke

 

“What an experience
to compete against such phenomenal athletes, and I can honestly say I gave it
all I had. Very proud of team SA, we were one of the few who had a 100% finish
rate, even though we had our share of injuries or stomachs running faster than
the athle
te, and I even took a hard tumble at 60km. Many people simply gave up.
Not the Saffas! We were gonna finish and we all did. Absolutely great support
team of Altus Schreuder, Markus (Chantel’s husband), Marinda Cloete and Linda
Doke’s family.” – Dirk Cloete

 

“The course was quite
demanding, with two big climbs right at the beginning of each lap as well as
some technical muddy sections and log jumps which became quite unwanted
obstacles on the fourth and fifth laps!

In a pre-race interview, I
said that I wanted to be in the top 10, so it felt amazing not only to be the
top SA woman, but to also achieve that goal. Now to get onto that podium next
time! And it was such a unique, blessed experience and privilege to share my dream
of representing my country with my life partner!”
Landie Greyling

 

“I am 32nd
in the world and Landie 9th. Well done to my wife! Thanks for the
support SA… We raced our hearts out for Sunny SA!” – Christiaan Greyling

 

“I think that
most SA athletes aspire to being able to step up to the starter’s line in the
green and gold to represent their country. I felt honoured to be able to do
just that. As Altus said, ‘It comes down to National pride.’ At the seconding
station, my husband saw grown men cry, with athletes withdrawing due to various
ailments and injuries. I am thrilled that all of our team managed to ‘vasbyt,’
no matter what was thrown at them. We went out as true ambassadors for our
country; bringing back invaluable experience of racing on International soil.” – Chantel Nienaber

 

(Box)

SA’s MEN

32 Christiaan Greyling 6:58:01

42 Charl Souma 7:16:59

45 Dirk Cloete 7:21:17

Winner: Ricky Lightfoot (UK) 5:36:03

SA’s WOMEN

9 Landie Greyling 7:17:27

28 Tracy Zunckel 7:51:23

37 Chantel Nienaber 8:18:52

40 Linda Doke 8:22:07

Winner: Nathalie Mauclair (France) 6:38:45

 

 

Polish Pride

10th World
Long Distance Mountain Running Championships (41km), Szklarska Poreba, Poland,
3 August

 

A really tough course,
with a start reached by ski-lifts, was made more difficult by temperatures of
up to 35?C, but once again the SA contingent pushed through to the finish
regardless – Kane Reilly and Katya Soggot in particular had a proverbial bad
day at the office, but were able to help each other home in the end. On the up
side, o
ur women’s team came 7th and the men 10th, a
great result for SA.

 

Thank you, Altus
Schreuder, all team members, and all our supporters there on the day. I am so
delighted all our team members managed to hit the finish line, which is the
most important thing. Being 20th at my first Long Distance World
Champs is really a big
achievement to me, and I’ve learnt a lot today, so now my coach and I will go
back to our drawing board and prepare for next year’s race. Viva, Team SA,
Viva! – Thabang Madiba

 

World champs done! Amazing
race, really happy with how it went. But gee, these Europeans can run, and they
have MOUNTAINS! Not like the little mole hills back home. The whole team did
really well and made SA proud. Thanks for all the support from everyone at
home. We really appreciate it! – Ronel
Nattrass

 

Terrible day for me
in the mountains. Really struggled to get to the finish line, heartbroken at
how things didn’t work for me, but the Saffa’s definitely made waves up here!
Thanks everyone for all the kind words – really helped me rise above a very
disappointing day. Still learnt a lot and made some new friends. Experience,
experience, experience! – Kane Reilly

 

Tough day in the
mountains of Poland. My first ride on a ski-lift, then 22km of running on the
route in over 30-degree heat to get water bottles to athletes and help
everybody get home. What an unbelievable privilege and brilliant experience. – Altus Schreuder, Team Manager

 

I was 10th at 13km, but the heat and altitude started
taking its toll and I had to really dig deep. The water at the water tables was
quite warm, but we crossed two small streams and the water there was ice, ice
cold. It was like an oasis – unbelievably refreshing! Eventually getting to the
last waterpoint, Altus was standing there encouraging us on. It was so awesome
to hear a familiar voice! Stoked with my result and
overall team effort today, considering the conditions! Hope to make it to World
Champs next year in the USA.

Michael Bailey

 

SA’s MEN

22 Thabang
Madiba 3:40:33

46 Michael Bailey 4:06:44

307 Kane Reilly 6:00:33

Winner: Mitja Kosovelj (Slovenia) 3:07:36

SA’s WOMEN

24 Robyn Kime 4:32:01

26 Ronel Nattrass 4:33:30

30 Anita O’Brien 4:40:23

61 Katya Soggot 6:00:33

Winner: Antonela Confortola (Italy) 3:44:51

Fighting Fit in Fiji

Make Mine a Double

Running
an ultra-marathon is already a big undertaking for the average athlete, but
running an ultra twice in a row, back-to-back without stopping, is a whole
different ballgame. And yet, it has been done at the Old Mutual Two Oceans
Marathon (56km), at Comrades (89km) and even as the 160km Tuffer Puffer in the
Puffer 80km trail run on the
Cape
Peninsula
. But up until
this year nobody had ever tried it at the Washie 100 Miler between Port Alfred
and
East London, one of the toughest events on
the SA race calendar.

 

Incredibly,
three runners took on the Double Washie 320km challenge, and while Eric Wright
and Tobie Reyneke didn’t quite make it all the way through their ‘second lap,’
Hazel Moller did make it home to rewrite the history books. While Eric was forced
to bail 44km into the second leg, Tobie made it all the way to 293km – just
27km short of his goal – when he decided to call it a day. Although
disappointed, he was still pleased to have raised R36 000 in sponsorship for
Stop Rhino Poaching, a charitable organisation that sponsors tracker dogs for
anti-poaching units in game reserves.

 

“I
have always been concerned with the issue of rhino poaching, and so far they
have deployed 22 rhino dogs across SA,” explains Tobie. “Some people say ‘Oh,
but the dinosaurs died out eventually, so why do you care about the rhinos?’ I
say we should protect all the beauty around us. Today it’s rhinos; next year we
could do something different. Starting with charity, however small, can make a
difference.”

 

WASHIE GOAL

Tobie
got into running five years ago when he entered the Lantern Race 5km in Pretoria with his wife
Elaine. The running bug had bitten and he progressed up through the distances, until
later, flipping through Tom Cottrell’s Nedbank
Runner’s Guide to Races in South Africa
, the Washie caught his eye.
However, his first attempt in 2011 didn’t quite go to plan: Tobie got lost in
the opening 14km loop around Port Alfred and eventually came home last to be
awarded the infamous Washie Tortoise Trophy.

 

Feeling
a bit disillusioned, he was convinced to come back and try run Washie ‘the
right way’ by Eric Wright, a seasoned Washie specialist with 24 consecutive
Washie finishes, but in 2012 Tobie’s plans once again went off course. “I had
an operation on my eye about six weeks before Comrades and I walked Comrades
still recovering from my op.” With his vision limited to a “mostly yellow
blur,” Tobie only just finished Comrades in 11:58:29 and didn’t even consider
doing Washie, which was just eight weeks later. However, in the months that
followed, his biggest wish was to go back to Washie, and this time he wanted to
do it with a double challenge.

 

TEAM DYNAMICS

With
Elaine and his fairly newbie seconding team of Morne Nel, Jacques Vlaming,
Jacques Burger and Gerhard and Hettie Fourie in tow, Tobie says the first 160km
went smoothly enough, but the second lap proved much more challenging as the
team struggled with the heat and running out of patience. “My seconds were exhausted
after the first leg, so here and there we had 15-minute naps – but I slept with
the car keys in case my wife had any idea of leaving!” Then with about 45km to
go, Tobie says his wife put her foot down. “I got my first ultimatum from Elaine,
who needed to catch a plane back to work on Monday morning. I was to be on that
plane or face her wrath!”

 

And
so, with the pace getting ever slower, Tobie decided to call it a day with 27km
to go. “I could’ve gone on for my ego, but I didn’t want to risk it. I was
grumpy, but figured there’s always next year,” he explains. “More training will
be in order, as well as more sleep in the weeks before, but for now the fundraising
will continue and we’ll see what we’re capable of in 2014. Washie is all about
going beyond your limits. Plus, Eric and I will have to kick Hazel’s butt this
time!”

To
support Tobie’s running, contact him on 083 968 5088, or go to www.stoprhinopoaching.com
to find out more about the anti-poaching organisation and what you can do to
get involved.

Triathlon Glory Beckons

Moscow Magic

The SA team headed to Russia with several athletes considered
medal contenders, such as Lehann Fourie in the men’s 110m hurdles, Khotso
Mokoena in the men’s long jump and Sunette Viljoen in the women’s javelin,
amongst others. While Lehann unfortunately had to withdraw due to injury, the
SA team still had six athletes qualifying for their finals after preliminary
qualifying rounds, with another seven athletes automatically appearing in final
rounds. That saw Victor Hogan end fifth in the men’s discus, Sunette claim sixth
in the javelin, and Khotso finish seventh in the long jump, while Willem
Coertzen set a new SA and African record in the men’s decathlon as he took
ninth position, and Elroy Gelant was 12
th in the men’s 5000m. But it
was Johan Cronje and sprinter Anaso Jobodwana that stole the show.

 

TOP PERFORMERS

In the men’s 1500m final, Johan looked to have gotten
his race tactics wrong, as he was tightly boxed in for much of the race. With
just 250m to go and the pack winding up the pace, the SA record holder was
still down in eighth position and looking out of contention, but then things
opened up for him at just the right time and he surged up the inside lane to
claim a podium position in 3:36.83, the first ever by a South African in the
1500m at the World Champs.
“I believed in myself, but I wouldn’t have
put money on myself,” says Johan. “I had a terrible tactical race – I couldn’t
go fast as everyone was on my right, and it was only the last 60 metres I had
to go past, as that’s when it opened up on the inside.”

 

In the sprints, Jamaican Usain Bolt further cemented
his status as the greatest of all time, but all of SA’s eyes were on Anaso
Jobodwana in the 200m final. In July he won the 100/200 ‘double’ at the World
Student Games in Russia, and after making the semi-final round in the World
Champs 100m, he then clocked 20.14 in the 200m final to finish sixth, improving
on his eighth position the 2012 London Olympics.
“I was happy about how I ran in Moscow – I didn’t
lag this time, like I did in London – but when I got to the straight I tried to
kick and I started to tire up,” says Anaso. “The up is that I ran three
consistent races of a high standard and I made it to the final, but I didn’t
run a personal best and I didn’t medal. That disappointment will help me going
into next season, and I’m going to be ready for next season!”

 

HUNTING MEDALS

Over the past five years, South Africa’s performance
at World Champs and Olympics has fluctuated somewhat. With the team having
returned from the 2007 World Champs in Osaka, Japan with no medals, an
immediate improvement came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics thanks to a silver
medal won by Khotso Mokoena in the long jump. Then at the 2009 World Champs in
Berlin, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Caster Semenya both won gold in the 800m races, while
Khotso claimed another long jump silver. In 2011 the twin highlights of the
World Champs in Daegu, South Korea were the silver medals won by Caster in the
800m and the men’s 4x400m relay team, while
LJ Van Zyl took
bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles and Sunette Viljoen also won bronze in the
women’s javelin.

 

Then
at the 2012 London Games, Caster’s silver in the women’s 800m was undoubtedly
the highlight of the Games, while Sunette narrowly missed a medal with fourth
in the javelin and Khotso once again made the long jump final, but a big
talking point was youngsters Anaso Jobodwana making the final of the 200m, Lehann
Fourie running in the final of the 110m hurdles, and Marc Mundell setting an
African Record in the men’s 50km walk. Meanwhile, Willem Coertzen finished a
solid ninth in the decathlon. Thus South Africa went to Moscow hoping to build
on the success of London, and while a single bronze medal may look like a poor
return, the number of athletes in finals is still something to brag about!

 

 

WALKING
WONDER

 

Race
walker Marc Mundell was in action in the 50km walk in Moscow, hoping to build
on his terrific SA record performance in the London Olympics, and he was
ecstatic about finishing 31st in 3:57:55.
“This was my first 50km race since London, my second-best ever time, and
one position better than London, so I am delighted. The conditions in Moscow
were challenging – the weather was all over the place, with rain, sunshine and
humidity – so I think I paced myself really well and I was on PB pace until
35km.”

 

“I made a tactical call at 36km to chase my PB, but
I think I underestimated the conditions and overestimated my conditioning. I
made it to 40km and then the wheels fell off. I struggled through until 45km
and gradually picked myself up for the final 5km, where I caught several
positions.
I think that my recovery from surgery has gone well, but the five months
of training that I lost affected my conditioning and the base just wasn’t there
in the final 10km, which was my strength in London.”

SA’s Fittest City

Teen Wonder

After
coming stone-last at a compulsory school cross-country event when she was in
grade four, Robyn-Leigh’s father gave her some valuable advice: Never stop
trying, and never stop improving. He was a runner himself, while her mom was a
swimmer back in the day, and soon Robyn-Leigh’s obvious sporting genes came to
the fore. “I started getting better as a runner, then started getting into
biathle two years after that, and in my grade seven year I got into the
provincial and national team,” she says. (Biathle consists of run, swim and run
legs.)

 

Robyn-Leigh says her first taste of
international competition was hard. “Getting into international competition was
more about experience at the beginning. It was definitely scary! The athletes
were bigger and there was a huge gap between us South Africans and Europe.” But she says she learnt everything she could and
trained harder, and so, having come first in the Central Gauteng Biathle Champs
last year and first in the SA Champs, she was selected to represent South Africa at the Biathle World Championships
in Dubai in
2012, where she placed second in her age category.

 

ESTABLISHED STAR

Today
Robyn-Leigh is an accomplished star in both biathle and duathlon (run,bike,
run), and recently moved into triathlon (swim, bike, run) as well. While she says
she has no outright favourite discipline, she is really enjoying her running
more as she is improving on her speed. And this year, that speed helped her finish
second in the Potchefstroom ATU Duathlon African Championships, which saw her selected
for the SA team in August’s Ottawa ITU Duathlon World Championships in Canada. She
also finished fifth overall in the 2013 ATU Triathlon Championships held in
East London in March, and was chosen to compete in the ATU Triathlon African
Champs held in Agadir, Morocco, where she won the bronze medal in the women’s
junior race. Then in June, she placed fourth overall at the SA Biathle Champs
after just recovering from flu she picked up in Morocco.

 

At
the time of going to print, Robyn-Leigh was travelling to Istanbul for the ETU
Triathlon Junior European Cup, followed by the Tiszaujvaros ETU Triathlon
Junior European Cup in Hungary, which are races traditionally used by athletes
from all around the world to prepare for the ITU World Championships, which
will be held in September in London. Robyn-Leigh has thus foregone the
opportunity to race in the Duathlon World Champs in favour of getting better
exposure in the European triathlon races and possible inclusion in the SA World
Cup squad, while getting a good indication of where she ranks amongst the
world’s best in her age group. “I want to get the results and the exposure, I
want to get my name out there,” she says, “While Rio 2016 is a huge ask, I’ll
be prepared for anything that comes my way.”

 

DOING
THE HARD YARDS

For
a young pro athlete like Robyn-Leigh, there isn’t much opportunity for normal
teenage ‘chill time.’ In the week, she tackles an hour-long run in the
afternoon after school – a steady 5km to 7km – and then spends a further two
hours after that in the pool, depending on the season, which also sees her
doing specific sessions for endurance on cross-country routes as well as 200m,
600m and 800m track sessions to up her speed. “On weekends my dad and I go out
for a more relaxed cycle session and I do have some breaks to recover, because I think that’s very important!” She
does have most Sundays off for family time and her coach makes sure she has
down-time with friends. “I do the normal stuff I should do, like homework,
friends and catching up on TV. You can’t burn out.”

 

Before
leaving for Istanbul,
Robyn-Leigh was focusing more on her cycling, which is the one discipline she
feels she can still improve. Over the past seasons she has also learnt to plan
her carbs and protein intake before a competition and to hydrate properly during
race day. “I remain very positive and have always had amazing support from my
parents, two sisters, coaches as well as my school, St. Dunstan’s College. My
parents are there at the finish line and that’s always a massive relief for me.
At home, there are medals and newspaper clippings of me from competitions, and I
keep telling my mom ‘No more! My room is full!’” she jokes.

 

For
this young athlete, discipline and passion are the two factors that any
promising talent needs, but she rates fun just as highly, and has made a point
of making new friends on the international circuit, many of whom have become
regular opponents in subsequent meets. “What’s the point if you don’t love what
you do? You have to have fun, too! You have to stay positive and motivated, no
matter what, and the results will come.”


WHAT THEY
SAY ABOUT ROBYN-LEIGH

 

Zinto Sports
(sponsor):

“She’s an up-and-coming star in the sport and she’s readying herself for future
Olympic competition. It’s a pleasure to sponsor her entries, trips and
equipment, and hopefully more of her results will catch the attention of more
sponsors!”

 

Darryl Jones (father):
“The
sport is obviously a very expensive one to get into, so we do everything we can
for Robyn-Leigh. You need a backing in this sport to grow and develop, besides
the hard work and belief.”

 

Cass Jones (mother): “We
support every decision Robyn-Leigh makes and we’re very proud of her
achievements. We believe in her and in turn she believes in herself and her
ability. We push her to do her best in life.”