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Carving the road to success

42 in 42 Against Abuse

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In 2008, while
out on a run with friends, Retha Schutte mentioned that she’d like to run for a
charity. The idea was left there, until last year. “In August, I knew I needed
to start the Lighthouse Run. Often, abuse is an issue left in the dark. We’ll
shed light on the issue, council women, men and children, and make abuse an
issue that is not hidden away,” she says.

 

Retha spent
most of her childhood witnessing her alcoholic father beat up her mother,
brother and sister, and says she now has the opportunity to speak out and help
turn the tide. “Now I have a voice. Now I can stand up. Every 17 seconds in
this country, someone is abused – whether physically, sexually or mentally. We
want to tell people its okay to speak out and get help. And we want to show them
that there is life after abuse.”

 

TOUCHING THE COASTLINE

Retha
shares not only this cause, but also a love of running long distances with her
friends Machelle Bremer and Sorita van der Walt. For six weeks, these three
intrepid women are planning to run a marathon a day, starting in Umhlanga, just
north of Durban, and following the coastline and
its lighthouses to finish at Cape Columbine in the Western Cape. The journey will cover roughly
2 000km and the team will reach communities along the way, spreading the word
and launching workshops en route. The Lighthouse team will also be accompanied
by a community service team in clinical psychologist Eugene Viljoen, life coach
Kudzai Shoko, and Herman Schutte, who will facilitate emotional intelligence
and conflict management.

 

Retha
explains why they chose to focus on lighthouses: “Every lighthouse has a unique
signal and rotation pattern every few seconds. Like abuse, the rotation happens
quickly. Now we want to fight against the issue so people can act against the
situation before violence spreads. We want to get the word out there because
little is done about abuse. We aim to council victims on recovery as well as
men who want to be rehabilitated. We will also give children a chance to speak
and give anyone legal advice when it comes to abuse.”

 

RUNNING IN HOPE

Retha and
her running team are ready to conquer the coastline, as they have a rich
history of running marathons and ultras. Retha has clocked four Comrades
finishes, with a PB of 9:38, as well as five Loskop Marathons. Some of Machelle’s
running highlights include six Comrades finishes, including a best time of 7:25
and 24th position in the women’s race, as well as seven Loskop runs.
Back-up runner Sorita has been running since 2008 and has a number of half
marathons under her belt.

 

The Lighthouse
Run is set to start on November 19 and run through to December 27, which will
coincide with the government’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence
campaign. So far, South African celebs have taken to the project with musician
Elvis Blue and Comrades gold medallist Lindsay Van Aswegen already on board to
run some legs. Chevrolet South Africa has also
promised the Lighthouse Run transport to get the word out there and spread
light on the evil that is abuse.

Destined to be a Classic

Carbineers Pride

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Natal Carbineers Athletic Club,
Pietermaritzburg

The Natal
Carbineers regiment of the SANDF not only boasts a long, glorious military
record, but can also look back on a rich athletic history. The first recorded
training session of its athletics club dates back to 28 April 1865! During the Second World War, the
Natal Carbineers athletes acquitted themselves with great distinction in the
Eighth Army Games in North Africa and Italy, and after the war in various
inter-regimental meetings, but club activity lapsed in the 1960s due to the
regiment often moving about.

 

In 1991, the club was put back on its feet and in
order to get enough members together to be allowed back into the sport, the
regimental commanding officer and other officers all signed up, even though some
of them never actually did any running – but the club had that same can-do spirit of the
1860s. Today, the club is
an open one and no longer reserved only for members of the regiment, but
many of the 200-odd members
have ‘Carbineer blood,’ so to say, having grown up in the club after
following their parents into running.

 

PHIL’S LEGACY

In 1930, a
young Carbineer, Phil Masterton-Smith, aged 17, took part in the Comrades
Marathon for the first time. After a superb run, he finished a mere 200 metres
behind the great Wally Hayward in the first of his five wins! After the race,
Wally said, “If I have to run so hard to win this race, I’ll never run it again!”
and it would be 20 years before he did line up at Comrades again, which can
partly be attributed to a broken foot the following year and then a focus on
other running goals, but also due to the strength of that chasing Carbineer!

 

In 1931 Phil ran his second Comrades and became the
youngest ever winner of the great race, beating another Carbineer, Noel Burree,
by the narrowest of margins after an incredible sprint finish. The few old
photographs of this race show the two straining every muscle down the home
straight of the track, and at the line it was Phil who just edged ahead to win
by a few metres. In 1932 he finished sixth and then in 1933 he took 10th
following a nine-day day cycle from Cape Town to arrive in Maritzburg the day
before the start! Today, the fundraising Unogwaja Challenge is held in his
memory, with a group of riders repeating his cycle trek and then running the
race. Also in memory of the great Carbineer, Phil’s badge is worn on the club
vest today.

 

THEY LOVE RUNNING

The Carbineers are well known for the brilliant
races they put on. Back in the 90s, they presented the ‘Race of the Dekade
10km’ (sponsored by Dekade Paints), which won the award for best organised race
in the province before being retired in 2001, and today the club hosts the Maritzburg
Marathon, Midlands 100 Miler and the Maritzburg Spar Ladies 10km. The club also
organises fun runs for its members, including ‘This Dam Race’ around Midmar Dam!

 

In between their own races, the members are often
seen at other races, and they also join up throughout the week at the
Carbineers Club or other selected venues for club runs, with different paced
groups setting out, as well as a walking group. Wednesday is the main club run day,
and on Fridays the club organises burgers or steak rolls for a social night
after the run. On the first Monday of each month, there is a big social get-together
at the clubhouse and all runners and walkers are welcome to join. The club also
holds a prize-giving once a year after Comrades, where ‘normal’ prizes are supplemented
with a lot of fun prizes, including the Nurse Jenny floating trophy for the
sickest person on Comrades day!

 

This is
also a club with a spirit of giving. It hosts the Pietermaritzburg Run/Walk for
Wildlife, and often assists neighbouring clubs Edendale AC and Orion AC with
their events. And speaking of giving, member Mdu Zondi organises shoe
collection and distribution to less privileged runners, while Lynton Kinloch
organises the Toys for Joy collection at Christmas, and these are then distributed
to children in the nearby France township. Added to that, several members serve on provincial running committees
as well as various portfolio committees of the Comrades Marathon Association.
It’s all just part of the legacy and values of this great club!

My Magalies Mayhem

Champion of Fitness

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Growing up,
Jarred and his sister were never indoors. He tried all sports and outdoor
activities, and his hunger to be active grew. Fitness remained a top priority after
school when his gap year involved coaching and training every day at the gym.
“I realised I loved being at the gym, learning and sharing in the experience of
the health industry,” says Cape Town-based Jarred, who then gained a fuller
understanding of how the body functions by studying exercise science.

 

Jarred has
since started his own company, Body Corporate Health, using his training and
experience to promote corporate wellness programmes designed to increase enthusiasm
and energy for clients who have pressured, chaotic lifestyles that make it hard
to fit in exercise. Jarred is also now in the second year of studying a B.Com degree
through UNISA, and still finds time to play in a band called Black Tie Trio –
and all this while training to be a fitness champ.

 

CROSSING OVER

Jarred has
moved away from isolated exercise to a multi-functional approach in training
for CrossFit, which promotes strength and conditioning as much as endurance and
all-round fitness. “CrossFit has only caught my attention recently because my
views on personal training have grown beyond the mere aesthetically driven
goals, and I now see the body for what it truly is, a vessel for performance
that is very often underestimated,” he explains.

 

CrossFit
competitions focus on who is the fittest, strongest and most flexible in a
range of exercises, from body-weight exercises (squats, push-ups and box jumps)
to distance movements (running and rowing). “Think about being trained in a
fashion that encompasses all disciplines of the Olympics,” explains Jarred,
“everything from cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility,
power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, timing and accuracy.” With all
these disciplines in mind, Jarred says he has mastered stamina, speed,
endurance and core strength, but still has a lot of training to do! “Now I’m
training to increase strength power as well as timing and accuracy.”


He likes to
mix up his training routines, and says his favourite workout is high-intensity
interval training that focuses on core strength. “I would normally do bar work
with Olympic-type lifts and presses. The dynamic core work is done with my body
weight and the odd medicine ball, followed by skipping, jumps and sprints,”
says Jarred, who loves keeping his routine upbeat and different every time – a
perfect solution for a CrossFit mindset.

 

RUNNING IS KEY

Jarred is
quick to point out that running is key in his training and important in meeting
CrossFit’s criteria. “Most of the time, I keep my runs short and intense, to
keep from exhausting my energy stores, as I need to hold as much lean muscle as
I can.” He does, however, enjoy a long run and has something to say to those
who think running is bad for your joints. “Running is even more terrible on
weak untrained joints. Strengthening your stabilisers and core, and learning
how to fire up the glutes for power, makes the world of difference! It’s like
fixing up all the leaks on a hosepipe – less energy is lost and instead transferred
to where it is needed.”

 

Jarred also
gives advice on how to take that decisive step to a healthy lifestyle through
nutrition and appreciation. “Learn to love and value your body! This will give
you the desire to pursue understanding to transform your life! Diet is key, so
keep it simple, go back to whole, natural foods. Eat smaller portions more frequently,
and drink lots of water. Think fruit, veg, nuts and seeds, fish, chicken,
ostrich and select red meats.”

 

For Jarred,
a busy lifestyle in training clients, studying and playing in a band should
never get in the way of his own training. “I believe people have choices. The
choice is to make time or not. If you value yourself, you will find 15 minutes
a day to do some exercise and begin to make good lifestyle choices.” And for
him, becoming a CrossFit champion is the goal that keeps him motivated to keep
up his physical training and education about what the human body can do.

Loskop is Lekker

Better Breathing

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What do Extreme
Fighting Championship fighters, Kaizer Chiefs soccer players and some runners
have in common? They are all using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to enhance
their performance! This is a non-invasive medical treatment whereby a patient breathes
in 100% medical oxygen in a pressurised chamber, to enhance the body’s healing
power and speed thanks to the higher oxygen concentration in the body.

 

Gregory
Windrum, a hyperbaric technologist at the Hyperbaric Oxygen Centre in Johannesburg, explains
that “We only breathe in 20% oxygen from the atmosphere. When we intake
pressurised oxygen in the chamber, it nourishes the cells, and the more oxygen
you get the longer your muscles take to fatigue.” Also, oxygen is essential to all
athletic activities, because it facilitates the production of glycogen, one of
the main sources of muscle energy.

 

Tony
Paladin, chairmperson of the Gauteng Biokinetics Association, also feels that
it’s a must for swift recovery. “Bearing in mind that the body is made up of
cells that require oxygen to metabolise, increasing oxygen flow to them boosts
their ability to do their job. If each cell can operate faster, this would mean
that the entire body will heal more quickly!” Gregory adds that it is easy for
runners to injure themselves shortly after a hard race, as many get back into
training before they reach full recovery. “HBOT saturates the blood plasma and
haemoglobin with oxygen. The red blood cells become more malleable as well,
increasing their ability to penetrate restricted blood vessels,” he explains.

 

BREATHE IN THE BENEFITS

The list of
benefits and after-effects of HBOT for an athlete make for impressive reading
(and that’s not even listing the ways it can help with recovery from various
injuries, illnesses and medical procedures):

?      
Increased
lung capacity, which means your body can perform at a better, faster rate, with
increased endurance.

?      
Gets
the lactic acid moving in the body, which speeds up post-run recovery and
decreases stiffness quicker.

?       Increased oxygen delivery to the
brain facilitates brain function and enhances an athlete’s ability to make the
split-second decisions needed in top-level sport.

?       Decreased swelling and inflammation.

?       Helps the body clear toxins.

 

For many athletes, oxygen therapy
has helped cut injury recovery time and helped improve stamina. Gregory
explains the feeling of being inside the chamber as very relaxing. “It’s pretty
much the same feeling as scuba diving, just minus the water, and it gives you
vast amounts of energy. The great thing is that patients can relax inside the
chamber. You can listen to music, watch movies or even catch up on your work.”

 

While athletes might get excited at
this breakthrough in recovery methods, Tony explains that it should never be a
substitute for training. “I definitely recommend this to any athlete, but as
long as it is seen as an adjunct to and not a replacement for training! The
bottom line is that if you want to be able to mix it up with the best at what
you do, you need to train for it as hard as you can for 10 000 hours – around
10 years at around three hours a day. Hyperbarics allow you to recover a bit
quicker, so you can train more!”

A Kwai challenge

A bowl of goodness!

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Pea and
Ham Soup

Peas
are good for your heart because of their high soluble fibre content that
reduces LDL cholesterol levels. They also help to lower blood sugar levels and
blood pressure! (35min to make, serves four.)

 

Ingredients:

?        
1 onion, finely chopped

?        
2 stalks celery, finely chopped

?        
2 carrots, finely chopped

?        
2 cloves garlic, crushed

?        
500g frozen peas

?        
3 cups reduced-salt chicken stock

?        
250g lean ham, chopped

?        
1/3 cup light sour
cream/buttermilk/plain fat-free yoghurt

 

Step 1: Spray a large saucepan with oil and place over medium heat.
Add onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add garlic and
peas and cook for a further 3–4 minutes.

Step 2: Add stock and 3 cups water and bring to the boil. Reduce
heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until vegetables are
tender. Remove from heat. Blend well using a stick blender.

Step 3: Return soup to low heat. Add ham and stir until warmed
through. Ladle soup into bowls, swirl with sour cream, buttermilk or yoghurt
and serve.

 

Nutritional
information (per serving)

Energy: 1021kJ, Calories: 244cal, Protein: 20.9g,
Fat: 8.3g (saturated: 3.8g), Carbohydrates: 16.7g (sugars: 8.4g), Dietary
fibre: 9.1g, Sodium: 1321mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 3.1mg.

 

Cauliflower soup
This filling 
low-calorie,
high-fibre veggie is one of the most powerful healing and cancer-protective
foods. It contains high amounts of vitamin C and other nutrients like folate,
plus cancer-fighting compounds called phytonutrients that step up the production
of enzymes that clear toxins before they damage cells and make them cancerous. (45min
to make, serves 6.)

 

Ingredients:

?        
700g cauliflower, coarsely
chopped

?        
1 small leek (white part only),
sliced

?        
1 medium potato, peeled, cut into
chunks

?        
3? cups reduced-salt vegetable or
chicken stock

?        
2 cloves garlic, crushed

?        
? cup light cream/buttermilk/fat-free
yoghurt for cooking

?        
pinch paprika

?        
2 teaspoons finely chopped
flat-leaf parsley

 

Step 1: Place cauliflower, leek, potato, stock and garlic into a
large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 to
30 minutes, until potato is tender. Cool slightly.

Step 2: Blend mixture using a stick blender, or in two batches in a
food processor. Season with freshly ground black pepper and stir through
cooking cream. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley before serving.

 

Nutritional information
(per serving):

Energy: 427kJ, Calories: 102cal, Protein: 4.7g, Fat: 3.4g (saturated: 2.0g),
Carbohydrates: 11.1g (sugars: 5.9g), Dietary fibre: 3.1g, Sodium: 681mg,
Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1.0mg,

 

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

Carrots
are high in B-carotene and fibre, which help protect against certain cancers
and high cholesterol. (40min to make, serves 4.)

 

Ingredients:

?        
3 cups reduced-salt veggie stock

?        
2 onions, finely chopped

?        
2 cloves garlic, crushed

?        
2 teaspoons caraway seeds

?        
1kg carrots, peeled, chopped

?        
2 stalks celery, finely chopped

?        
? cup red lentils

?        
4 tablespoons toasted almonds,
roughly chopped

?        
fresh coriander, to serve

?        
4 pieces pita bread, to serve

 

Step 1: Add ? cup stock to a large saucepan. Cook onions and garlic
until softened.

Step 2: Add caraway seeds, carrots and celery and a little more
stock, if needed. Cook 8-10 minutes.

Step 3: Add remaining stock, lentils and 2 cups water. Bring to the
boil and simmer 10 minutes.

Step 4: Pur?e soup in blender until smooth, but slightly chunky.
Divide soup between bowls. Top with almonds and coriander. Serve with pita
bread.

 

Nutritional information
(per serving):

Energy: 1550kJ, Calories: 370cal, Protein: 15g,
Fat: 8g (saturated: 1g), Carbohydrates: 54g (sugars: 20g), Dietary fibre: 13.6g,
Sodium: 1095mg, Calcium: 4.2mg, Iron: 161mg.

Spec-Savers Ironman Triathlon

Miss SA Wants to RUN!

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Having
been crowned Miss South Africa last December, Melinda Bam is now halfway
through a packed year of events, functions, launches, benefits and ceremonies,
and all the duties that go with being an ambassador for your country. While she
says she is having a wonderful time, her duties and commitments have had a
knock-on effect on her fitness training time. “I used to train twice a day,
including running, but these days I can only fit in four sessions a week, and it’s
all Pilates, Boot Camp and kick-boxing. I really want to get back into my
running,” she says.

 

“I’ll
be going to the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas in December, and I’d like to
do a few races before then, because it will not only help keep me fit and toned
for the pageant, but we will also be judged on our involvement in our
community. I’ve run races before and have done 1:56 for a half marathon. I
reckon I’m ready to take on a 10km right now, but need a bit more training
before I run my next half marathon.”

 

BRIGHT SPARK

In
April, Melinda (22) took a day off from her hectic work schedule to attend the
autumn graduation ceremony at the University of Pretoria, where she was awarded
her B.Com Marketing degree, which she passed Cum Laude! “It’s been four years,
but it feels like just yesterday I began my life as a student. I feel so
blessed to have had the opportunity to study and can’t stress enough how important
it is to grant and take the opportunities to study. My studies and my work as a beauty queen and ambassador play equally
important roles in my life, and the two complement each other.”

 

Typically,
this vivacious girl who used to attend classes in flip-flops made sure she
enjoyed her graduation. “When it came time to have my moment on stage, I heard
Mary Reynolds’ words she whispered in my ear at the Miss SA crowning, ‘stop
hopping and be a lady,’ but I just couldn’t help doing my version of a victory dance
at the end. I have learnt over the years that you are responsible for making
your life enjoyable in every moment you find yourself in!”

 

POPULAR POSER

During her year-long reign, Melinda is focusing on
helping the Thuthuzela and Banakekeleni Foundation in Alexandra. “I believe
that I have the motivation, ambition and confidence to become an inspirational
ambassador to the youth of South Africa.” She was also at the Comrades Marathon
Expo and race in June to help promote the Amabeadiebeadie charity fundraising
drive, and took the opportunity to interact with the running community.

 

Everywhere
she went, people asked to have their picture taken with her – including the
author – and she obliged them all, not only smiling for the cameras, but also
taking the time to chat to the people she met. It showed that she is really
just a down-to-earth, caring girl-next-door who happens to also be a beauty
queen. Who loves running.

Women keep on going…

SA’s Modern Pentathlete

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At
the 2000 Sydney Olympics, a women’s competition was added to the modern
pentathlon for the first time, with the 24 top-ranked women in the world
invited to participate, including South Africa’s Karina Gerber. She finished 18th
and was determined to get back to the Games to give it another shot, literally
and figuratively, making huge sacrifices along the way in pursuit of her sport,
but things have unfortunately not quite worked out for her. Thus she won’t be
lining up in London for the 2012 Games, having also missed 2004 and 2008, but
she remains upbeat about her somewhat unusual sport.

 

FIVE OF THE BEST

Modern
pentathlon is a five-discipline sport consisting of ?p?e fencing , 200m freestyle swimming, show jumping and a 3km cross-country run with pistol shooting mixed into it. The sport was invented in 1912 by Baron Pierre de
Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, and was
based on the ancient pentathlon, which consisted of running,
jumping, wrestling and throwing the spear and discus – all skills a soldier of
that time needed. The event was considered the climax of the ancient Games,
with the winner ranked as Victor Ludorum
(Winner of the Games). In the modern version, the Baron wanted to simulate the
experience of a 19th century cavalry
soldier trapped behind enemy lines: He must ride an unfamiliar horse, fight
with pistol and sword, and swim and run.

 

Originally the competition took place over four or
five days; but a one-day format was introduced in 1996 to make the sport more
spectator-friendly. That was the same year Karina became aware of the
sport and immediately fell in love with it. “I came from a swimming and running
background, so in 1997 I started fencing, shooting and horse riding. It was a
huge undertaking, but by 1998 I had competed in my first international
competition for South Africa and qualified for the World Championships in that
year. And after only three years in the sport, I was the first South African
woman to compete at Olympic level.”

 

“It’s
an incredible combination of physical, mental and intellectual aspects, as well
as adaptability, since we have to do the show jumping on a horse we only meet
20 minutes before riding,” says Karina. “It is also a most challenging sport,
as you have to find time to train for all five disciplines, then bring them all
together on competition day, which takes a lot of planning and determination.”

 

MAKING SACRIFICES

Karina (34)
hails from Pretoria, where she studied adventure tourism, and now lives in
Stellenbosch, but for the past seven years she has spent more time in London
than at home, training there while working to earn enough money to fund her
participation in the sport. “I wanted to qualify for the 2004 Games in Athens,
but couldn’t because my federation had no funding for me and I was already too
deep in debt to fund it myself. Competing in the 2000 Games had set me back
more than R60 000 and I was still working to get rid of that debt, so I gave up
competing and went to work on a cattle farm in the United States.”

 

“I tried to
make peace with the fact that taking part in the Games was something of the
past, but I felt I owed it to myself to try and compete at one more Games, and
before I knew it I was training full-out again for the 2008 Games. I have no
doubt that I could have qualified, but early in 2008 I fell off my bike in
London and tore the cruciate ligaments in my knee, so no more Olympics for me.”

 

LAST STAB
AT IT

Having set her sights on going to London for the 2012
Games, Karina was on track to qualify, but bad luck once again struck. “I ended
the past international season with a third place at the African Championships
in Egypt in July., but then
in my first international competition after that, in Switzerland in March, I fell off
the horse and fractured the radius of my right arm. Even though I had three
more qualifying competitions to go, including the World Championships in Rome in
May, there was no way I would be able to learn to fence left-handed in two
weeks and swim with just one arm pulling, so I knew my Olympic dream stopped
right there.”

 

Having now decided to retire from top-level
competition, Karina says she will now focus on developing the sport back home.
“I want to concentrate on coaching the next generation of South African world
championship contenders and hopefully Olympic medallists.”

What to do Next…

The Frontrunner

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1987
is considered one of the greatest years in South African athletic history, due
to the records and performances by various athletes, including the incredible
world record 1:00:11 tied finish by Matthews Temane and Zithulele Sinque in the
SA Half Marathon Champs in East London. Another of the leading characters in that
dramatic year was Xolile Yawa, who set two SA 10 000m records that year, bringing the
mark down to 27:39.65, which stood for nearly 12 years and has only be beaten
once, by Hendrick Ramaala.

 

Xolile’s
record is considered by some pundits to be the absolute highlight of that great
year. He also inflicted a crushing defeat early in the year on Temane and Matthews
‘Loop en Val’ Motshwarateu in the Momentum Life Half Marathon in Bedfordview,
winning in a stunning 62:37 at altitude. That run prompted much speculation in
the media about a possible world record at sea level that year, which is
exactly what transpired, although Xolile had to settle for third place in a
personal best 1:00:56 in that race.

 

ONE OF THE BEST

Xolile
can look back on an incredible athletic career. He won an unprecedented nine SA
10 000m titles, including six in a row from 1985 to 1990, and two SA Half
Marathon titles in 1986 and 1988. In 1989 he set an SA 15km record of 43:02,
which has only been beaten three times since, and by no more than four seconds.
Then in 1992 he brought home a bronze medal from the African Champs 10 000m,
made the final of the Olympic 10 000m, and represented SA in the World Half
Marathon Champs. The following year, he won the Berlin Marathon, and went on to
represent his country again in the 1996 Olympics and 1997 World Champs
marathon.

 

Born
in the remote village of Lady Frere in the Eastern Cape in 1962, Xolile recalls
that as a young man he felt he was carrying the aspirations of the Eastern Cape
when he competed. In the early 1980s, the Eastern Cape was the poor relation of
the then Transvaal, whose powerful teams were dominated by athletes from the Highveld
gold mines, including the incomparable Matthews Temane. Xolile’s rivalry with Matthews
was characterised by deep respect and Xolile unshamedly admits he idolised Matthews,
although he was a mere two years his senior. “I found Matthews completely
without arrogance and approachable. We had long chats about running and he
would help with a running tip here, a training programme there.”

 

Xolile
at first felt completely overshadowed by Matthews, who he believed was
unbeatable. “Matthews won so many races with his famous kick,” he explains.
However, while running for the President Brand mine in the Free State, Xolile noticed
that Matthews was vulnerable in the longer distances. Adopting the devastating
front-running tactics which became his trademark, Xolile found he could get the
better of Matthews over 10 000m, which saw him win a breakthrough SA title in
1985.

 

SUCCESS STORY

In
a sport in which a distressing number of former champions have succumbed to
poverty, alcoholism and early deaths after retiring from competitive athletics,
Xolile is a triumphant exception. With his 50th birthday
approaching, he is co-owner of Carecure, a hospital management company active
in four provinces, and he recently started a project, Legendary Athletes of SA,
catering for the social welfare of former athletes, coaches and officials.
“Some athletes are so poor when they die, there is not even enough money to
bury them,” he says wistfully.

 

Now
settled in the Free State, with his son at Grey and daughter at Unisie, the
soft-spoken Xolile is outspoken about the current malaise in SA distance
running. “We could compete with the Kenyans and Ethiopians if our full pool of
athletic talent was harnessed. There are many kids out there who could be world
champions if they were given the chance. We must try to get the sport back to
where it was in the 80s, when it was in the top five South African sports. The
contribution of the mines, Correctional Services and Defence Force as well as
the universities in the old days was so important, and we need that again.”

 

Richard
Mayer is author of Three Men Named
Matthews: Memories of the Golden Age of SA Athletics, available at
Exclusive Books or www.redpepperbooks.co.za.

 

XOLILE YAWA’S PBS

3 000m       7:52.69

5 000m       13:30.40

10 000m      27:39.65

10km          28:30

15km          43:02

21.1km       1:00:56

42.2km       2:10:22

 

Top of the Morning!

Night Run in Soweto

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Norrie Williamson was on the phone: “Hey Ray, a few of us are heading to Soweto tonight for a run, if you’re not doing anything?” If I’m honest, my first thoughts were, “Are you crazy? At night? Is it safe?” But I’m up for anything that involves running… – BY RAY ORCHISON

I
grew up in Apartheid-era South Africa, and although I was too young to know
what was going on around me politically, Apartheid had an impact on my young
mind. Nothing was questioned, that was just how it was, and white people never
mingled with black people. Sadly, I matriculated in 1994, just before schools
officially became multi-racial, so I never had the opportunity to share at a
close personal level with people of other races. Through the years I have worked
and mixed with different races, so I don’t consider myself racist, although I
would be lying (I think all of us would be) if I said I don’t struggle with
prejudice. So, with those thoughts in mind, here was this ‘mlungu’ (white
person) driving into Soweto at 7pm at night.

 

MADE TO FEEL WELCOME

I
met the six other runners at Nambitha in Vilakazi Street and the wonderful
experience began. As we got out of our cars, a local ran up to us, extended a
hand and proceeded to sing us a song. Shortly after that a very excited woman
came running up to us, literally screaming with joy, “Hello, white
people!” Again it was handshakes and hugs and smiles, like we had come
across a long lost friend. Then she shouted across the road, calling her husband
and four-year-old son to come see us. Her son stared at us as though we had
just landed in a space ship. Then again, most of us were wearing tights and
bright reflective clothing, and two even had headlamps on, like we were going
mining or something.

 

We
started up Vilakazi Street and turned into the road which saw protestors
marching in the opposite direction in the 16 June 1976 Soweto Uprising. We
passed Morris Isaacson High School, where the uprising began as thousands of students,
teachers and others led by Tsietsi Mashinini began their protest march against
the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974, which forced all black students to be
taught in Afrikaans. We also stopped at the Hector Pietersen Memorial, which
has a grass line pointing to the spot where the 13-year-old student was killed
when police opened fire on the protesting students that day.

 

We
stopped off at Wandie’s Pub, and what a wonderful man Wandie is. After buying a
beer, Norrie jokingly asked him why the beer was so expensive…”How else am
I going to get rich?” he responded. And we finished our run back in Vilakazi
Street, passing the family houses of Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.

 

BACK FOR MORE

The
truth is, I felt safer running in Soweto than do I running in some white residential areas. I never gave my car a single
thought during the run, and there was never a moment when I feared being
attacked or mugged. Just about everyone we ran past would wave, flash a smile,
or even join us for a few strides. We even got a quick apology when a car
turned into the road and didn’t see us – very different to the areas I normally
run in, where you get the middle finger and verbal abuse! I will definitely be
going back to Soweto, for a warm meal at Wandie’s, for another jog in the area,
and simply to enjoy some great company.

Ready for the Big C

Three’s Company

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At the end of March, during the
Yellow Pages SA Junior and Youth Track & Field Champs in Germiston, we were
treated to a rare sight in the 2000m steeplechase for under-18 girls: A set of
identical triplets finishing 1-2-3, running one behind the other, in perfect
step with each other, even with pony-tails swinging from side to side in
unison. And their nearest competitor wasn’t even in the home straight yet when
they crossed the line. Olivia, Alicia and Sindy Labuschagne certainly made
quite some impression!

 

RUNNING IS COOL

When they were only 12 years old,
the triplets went to their mother, Maryna, and asked whether they could take part in athletics at
school, because it looked like the “cool thing to do.” At their very first
athletics meet, everyone was talking about these three identical girls that
appeared from nowhere and ran so well, and everyone wondered who was coaching
them. When Maryna  told onlookers that they had never competed
before, nor did they have a coach, one of the parents responded, “These kids
have talent, you need to get them to a coach.”

 

Today the 16-year old triplets are
the shining stars of Wonderboom High School in Pretoria, and are coached by
Piet Nothling, who describes them as “hard working, humble and friendly girls.
They listen and believe what their coach has to say.” The triplets are truly
passionate about their sport and take part in everything from 400m to 3000m as
well as the 2000m steeplechase, but say their favourite discipline is cross-country,
due to their great love of nature and the outdoors.

 

BUILDING ON SUCCESS

Last year the sisters were the three
fastest under-18 girls in the country in the 2000m steeplechase, with Olivia
clocking 7:10.88, Alicia 7:16.66 and Sindy 7:19.12. Olivia’s time was the sixth
fastest ever by a South African junior athlete. At the Yellow Pages South
African Junior, Youth and Under-23 Champs in April, Alicia won the youth
women’s 1500m, while Sindy was seventh and Olivia eighth in the 3000m. Then in
the 2000m Steeplchase, Sindy was second, Alicia third and Olivia fifth. In July
the three ran a 15km road race in Pretoria and recorded another 1-2-3 finish,
with Alicia running 64:40, Olivia 64:43 and Sindy 64:44, the third, fourth and
fifth fastest times in the country for the year for junior girls.

 

This year the highlight has been
their 1-2-3 at the SA Youth Champs, where Olivia clocked 7:11.10, Alicia
7:14.40 and Sindy 7:14.72. They have also been in action on the road, where Alicia
ran 57:52 and finished second in the Pick n Pay Rotary 15km in Pretoria in
April to post the fastest time this year by a South African junior. Olivia came
home third in 57:57, but to Sindy’s disgust, she was booked off sick and had to
miss that race. However, she was back in action when the three went to
Kimberley for the SA 10km Champs in mid-May, with Olivia finishing third junior
in 36:41, Alicia fourth in 37:03 and Sindy sixth in 38:43.

 

MOTIVATING EACH OTHER

Sindy and Olivia’s future goals are
focused on one day running 31 minutes for 10km, while Alicia’s goal is to go to
the Olympics with her two sisters by her side. Their goals are supported and
motivated by parents Maryna and Victor, as well as their older siblings
Victor and Samantha. The whole family enjoys cycling, hiking and jogging
together, and all five children now have provincial colours in cross-country,
so the running genes are strong in this family.

 

Although the sisters often compete
against each other for podium positions, they see each other more as motivation
than competition. In fact, they don’t like running unless without each other…
In one meet, Olivia and Alicia ran in a different race, but Sindy refused to
run later that day without her sisters, which in the end saw Alicia and Olivia
ran a second race on the same day. “I don’t enjoy the sport without my sisters
running next to me,” explains Sindy. “We don’t care who wins, as long as it is
one of us. We work as a team and would not find running as much fun without
each other.”