Author: Modern Athlete

Some 23 years ago, Youssef Kanouni followed his running dreams from Morocco’s northern mountainous region to the foot of Cape Town’s Table Mountain. The quiet man with an iron resolve not only fell in love with the Rainbow Nation and decided to stay, but also found true love here. – BY PJ MOSES

Elana Meyer’s silver medal in the 10,000m final at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics had the whole of South Africa cheering, but it also inspired a young man watching in Casablanca, Morocco. “I came to South Africa as a 21-year-old in 1994 to further my running, because Elana’s medal-winning run in Barcelona inspired me and made me look at South Africa with different eyes,” says Youssef.

He arrived in Cape Town with an impressive running CV, having been part of a golden generation of emerging young Moroccan runners that saw him training alongside Hicham El Guerrouj, who would go on to win two Olympic gold medals and still holds the 1500m World Record. “We trained at the same camp and were from an identical background with a similar upbringing. He showed us what was possible with hard work,” says Youssef. “I was a good school athlete and competed at the Moroccan National Champs. I ran middle distance on track and also ran cross country, winning many races.” Another close running friend was Khalid Khannouchi, who later broke the Marathon World Record twice.

Running Activist
Raised in a devout Muslim family by parents he adored, Youssef was taught to always do his best in life, and as much good as he can. This philosophy still affects everything he does today: A family man and activist, he splits his time between his training and working on various projects in the poorer communities. He’s a police reservist, an activist for low-cost housing, and a charity runner for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF). He says he is a firm believer that sport can change the lives of young people and that they can be so much more than their circumstances allow them to be. “I want to teach them that if you can’t do it with a book, you can do it with your legs. The power of a nation comes from its youth, so if we look after the youth, we will have a stronger nation.”

On the road, Youssef boasts a marathon PB of 2:36, and he also took on the big ultras a few years after arriving in SA, with a best of 4:18:42 at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon in 1997 and a 7:56:03 at Comrades in 2001 amongst his early highlights. However, he lost the passion for the sport later in 2001 when his mother passed away, and it took him 10 years to rediscover that fire in his belly. That happened in 2011 when he saw some old friends training around Rondebosch Common, and all the old instincts kicked in again. “When I came back I was a little chubby, so I had to do a lot of training to get back to who I was.”

His comeback was greatly helped by finding love on the road with fellow runner Mushfiqah, and they were married six months after meeting at a race. Youssef says their shared active lifestyle has been a blessing for both of them. “She has been my rock, and I think I have been an inspiration to her. I helped to coach her to her first marathon finish, and it took her just two months to go from the half marathon to the full.”

On the Comeback
Having regained his fitness, Youssef posted a brilliant 4:01 in the 2012 Two Oceans, and 4:02 in 2013, just missing out on a coveted silver medal. In 2012, he also set a Comrades PB of 7:22:22, and more highlights were to follow. “One of my proudest moments came at the 2015 Western Province 100km Championships, where I finished in second place.” However, he does not just run for himself: Youssef recently joined the Western Province Pacesetters and loves helping others achieve their running goals. “I always speak to my passengers, because I want them to feel happy in my bus. They must know it is going to take hard work to achieve their goals, but that I will help them to do it – and I always let them cross the line in front of me, because it is not about me.”

Looking ahead, Youssef says his next big goal lies overseas. “I am going to run the Istanbul Marathon in November, but that is just a step toward my ultimate goal of winning the Palestine Marathon.” He also wants to get his Comrades permanent number, needing just two more finishes, but this has unfortunately been put on hold because the 2018 race date falls within the Muslim holy month of Ramadaan for the next few years. A plea by Muslim runners to move the race date has been unsuccessful, but he remains hopeful. “We hope that when the 2019 race comes along, the powers that be will have a heart and move the race to a date that will accommodate Muslim runners. For now, all I can do is train hard and be ready.”

While water can keep you hydrated on the long run, sports drinks give back the carbs, sodium and potassium lost in long-haul, high-intensity events. – BY CHRISTINE PETERS, REGISTERED DIETICIAN

When you exercise, you produce heat, which your body controls through sweating, but you can then steadily become dehydrated, especially if running in high heat or humidity. As little as 2% dehydration can affect your athletic performance, so athletes are told to drink regularly and top up on fluids. Now, if you are running for less than 60 minutes, water should be enough to stay hydrated and save kilojoules, but if running longer than 60 minutes, sports drinks are recommended.

Therefore, sports drinks are recommended for endurance athletes trying to reach peak performance, especially if sweating a lot, because they provide fluids to cool down your body and replace what you lost in sweat, carbohydrates for quick energy, and sodium and potassium, the chief minerals lost in sweat.

Of course, fluid needs vary from person to person, and according to the type of activity and the length of time that you are active, but as a general rule of thumb, runners should:
• Drink one to two cups of sport drink four hours or less before exercise.
• Keep fluids with you when you run and sip regularly to replace water lost through sweat, but let your thirst guide you.
• Post-run, eat your meals and snacks and drink as you feel you need to, but especially drink up to 1.5 cups (375 ml) of fluid if you have not produced any urine, or only a small amount of bright yellow urine.
• Water is always a good option post-run, but you can also drink milk or chocolate milk, 100% fruit juice or another sports drink.

What to Look For
1. Water: Make sure your sports drink is not carbonated, so it is easy to drink and doesn’t make you feel full.
2. Sodium: The white powder on your clothes or skin is the salt you lose in sweat, and this loss can lead to muscle cramps, so sports drinks should contain at least 300 to 700mg of sodium per litre. Athletes prone to cramping may require more.
3. Carbohydrate (sugar): Sugar keeps blood glucose from dropping and helps fuel active muscles and the brain, so 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour of activity can improve endurance, power output and delay fatigue. To prevent stomach problems, make sure your drink has no more than 80 grams of carbohydrate per litre, as that is generally the limit of what your body can easily absorb.
4. Flavour: Drinks with flavour are easier to swallow, especially when you’re tired.

Most importantly, experiment with a new sports drink in training first before using it in a race, as you don’t want to find out mid-race that something doesn’t work for you, or disagrees with your stomach!

About the Author
Christine is a registered dietician based in the Johannesburg area.

Multi-stage trail running events continue to grow in popularity throughout South Africa, but understandably, they are usually substantially more expensive than single-day running events, as the entry fee often covers accommodation, meals and transport. This means there are some runners who simply cannot afford these races, but thanks to sponsors like RCS Group, a few trail newcomers got to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the recent RCS SOX three-day trail run in the Garden Route area of the Southern Cape. – BY SEAN FALCONER

With a CEO who is an avid runner and has completed the Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra-marathon, and with many other runners amongst its staff, it comes as no surprise to see that financial services provider, the RCS Group, has thrown its support behind running in a big way. The group sponsors the three-day SOX event, and also sponsors the Gugulethu Athletics Club in Cape Town.

As CEO Regan Adams explains, “RCS has always had a strong connection with the running community, and we have a long-standing relationship with the Gugulethu Athletics Club, which encourages running in disadvantaged communities. We understand the importance of staying active and connecting with nature, and what better way to do this than with one of South Africa’s most beautiful trail runs? We were therefore pleased to invite some of our Gugs members to Knysna and expand their running experience. That’s what we’re about, making things possible for people.”

SIGNED UP TO RUN
That saw RCS sponsor the entries and race participation of Peter Tsawayo, Coceka Qomiyana, Nceba Mabulu and Imran Paya, all going in the team section, and Phumeza Bobotyane running as a solo entry. Imran and Peter were already experienced trail runners, with an impressive record of trail race wins or podium finishes. Imran (40) has been running for nine years and boasts best times of a 2:36 marathon and 6:36 for the Comrades. Meanwhile, Peter (36) has been running for 16 years, and has bests of 29 minutes for 10km and 1:07 for the half marathon. When asked what the RCS sponsorship meant for them, Imran says, “The sponsorship could have gone to someone else, but here I’m the one who was chosen to go. Words can’t justify how honoured and grateful I feel for that.”

On the other end of the experience spectrum, it was a first foray into trail running for Coceka (35) and Nceba (28). Coceka has been running for seven years and has done a 3:55 marathon, and she says running “gives me a special moment to talk to myself.” After two years of running, Nceba can look back on a marathon PB of 3:37 and openly admits to being addicted to running, “but it’s a healthy addiction that makes me feel strong. The thing I love best is that running has taught me that I can do things I never thought I could do!” They also expressed huge thanks for the RCS sponsorship: “I always wanted to participate in a big trail run, and RCS has made it possible for me,” says Nceba.

ENJOYING THE TRAILS
As regular contenders in both road and trail runs, it was no surprise to see Imran and Peter setting the pace on day one, and they led from start to finish in the 30km stage, completing it in two hours 45 minutes. With a healthy lead in the bag, they could take their foot off the pedal a bit on day two and conserve energy for the final day, so they took 2:50 for the next 30km – not that much slower, but running within themselves. They then led the entire 20km of stage three, coming home in 1:39 for an overall time of 7:14:15 for the 80km distance, and the 2017 SOX title.

“I was very happy with my second SOX stage race, because it was very well organised, from our travelling to our accommodation, and we did well, even though we got lost a bit along the way. We could have run faster, but since we were in the lead after the first day, we took it easy the other two days. We enjoyed the run so much because we had prepared and trained hard for the three days, and our sponsor, RCS, gave us everything so we could enjoy every moment,” says Peter.

A bit further back, Coceka and Nceba came home 14th team overall, and sixth in the mixed category, with a combined time of 10:21:38, having both thoroughly enjoyed their first trail experience, while Phumeza finished in 12:26:48. “I must say, it was a memorable experience,” says Nceba. “Running on three consecutive days of tough trails was not easy, and required good mental strength, but if given an opportunity, I’ll definitely run it again!” Echoing his thoughts, Coceka says, “Running SOX was an experience of a lifetime. I feel like a new person after going deep into those forests, crossing those rivers, and climbing those hills, and I am stronger than before. Thanks to RCS for giving me the opportunity to run this amazing event!”

We have so many athletes in South Africa hitting the roads and trails to raise money for or awareness of important, deserving causes, and we want to give them the publicity they deserve for their efforts.

Running for the Kids – By Zoe Papadakis

I am a KZN-based trail runner and when I tackled my first ultra-trail run in August, the 50km Umgeni River Run, I decided to run it to raise funds for Child Welfare Durban and District, so I put out a call for family, friends and members of the public to ‘sponsor a kilometre.’ It was such an incredible, liberating, amazing, tough and challenging adventure, and it was insanely exciting to place second in the race, but there were times that I wanted to just stop, cry and give-up… until I thought about the amazing support everyone had shown to my fundraising campaign, and that kept me going.

I want to share the reasons why I did this, in the hope that it might engage the public to support the initiative. I recently came on board with the organisation as a brand ambassador, and got to know more about what they do. The organisation manages over 4500 different cases involving children that have been at risk. They have several Child and Youth Care Centres that care for 260 children, and nine Community Family Homes, catering for 54 orphans (including siblings). These children have been through so much, and their stories are truly heartbreaking, yet they still manage to smile, to have hope, and to love.

These kids need love, and direction, and this is what Child Welfare is trying to provide. They rely on the public for funding, to provide so many different services to the community, and it is always a struggle to generate enough to do so, and to cloth, feed and care for these kids. This is why I thought it would be ideal to use my running as a fundraiser for them. I think of these children when I am tired, when I don’t want to go out and do a 35km training run, when my body hurts and I want to give up. Because they inspire me with their zest for life, with their strength… and in some way, I hope that my running will not only help with their funding needs, but will also inspire the kids not to give up on their dreams.

For more information, go to https://cwdd.org.za or contact them on [email protected] or 031 312 9313

A Bike for Every Child – By Craig Caldwell

I am a childhood cancer survivor of 30 years, having been diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) at the age of 13 when growing up in Vanderbijlpark. That’s why I became involved with CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation, and besides helping with Camp Quality, a camp for children with cancer, I take part in cancer walks, ran the Comrades Marathon, and ran from Joburg to Durban, all to raise funds for CHOC. I also created the comedy show Laughing Matters and roped in other comedians to back my cause.

Earlier this year my friend, radio presenter and fellow comedian Sean Stevens received a donation of 17 bicycles to give to a worthy cause, and we decided to look for a reliable place to donate them to. Through my fundraising work, I have had dealings with Louise Coxen, Director of Polokong Children’s Village in Sebokeng, which has five houses accommodating 50 kids permanently, and another 350 kids are fed daily through an outreach programme. So we set about asking on social media for more old bikes to be donated, as our intention was to give every permanent child a bicycle.

We knew it would be difficult, considering the current economic climate, but people like Christo and Michelle Viljoen of Bernies Joint in Koedoespoort, Pretoria took up the challenge. Christo and I have been mates from way back in the 80’s, and he said he would deliver 50 bikes. He and Michelle then hounded people for donations and bikes, and on 23 June, Christo, Michelle and the crew from Bernies as well as a group of car fanatics hit the road to Old Vaaltonians Sports Club for the handover.

In Total 76 bicycles were handed over, the majority being brand new – and we still had Sean’s 17 bikes to look forward to! (He was busy with work commitments at the time.) This meant we could give every child a bicycle, and allow them to keep their bike when they leave the home, and we are now in the position to give a new child that enters the home a bicycle as well! It was amazing to see how the crew and friends of Christo and Michelle opened their hearts and wallets and made many children’s dreams come true.

The Marathon Des Sables has been called “The Toughest Foot Race on Earth,” which is not surprising, given that it’s a 250km, six-stage race through the Sahara Desert in Morocco, with intense heat, grating sand, agonising blisters and incredible fatigue to contend with, and yet it was the number one bucket list item for Moerieda Mackay… even though she has never thought of herself a runner, let alone an ultra trail runner. – BY SEAN FALCONER

All it took was a photograph in a running magazine four years ago, of a man running in the Sahara Desert, to get Moerieda Mackay hooked on the idea of running the Marathon De Sables (MDS). She had never even been to a desert before, and says the hottest temperature she had experienced was 43 degrees in the Karoo, but somehow she became obsessed with running the event. “I was fascinated by his backpack and the intricacies of all his equipment, but it was the fact that he was carrying an anti-venom kit that really caught my attention! And yet the vision of me running the MDS stayed with me over the years. It was the craziest feeling, this burning desire to run 250km through the gruelling and inhospitable Sahara, carrying everything you would need to survive for seven days in the desert … but it’s like the desert was calling my name!”

Unsurprisingly, the journey just to get to the MDS in April this year proved a challenge for Moerieda, a mother of three from the Midrand area of Gauteng. She says that entering is hugely expensive and until 2016, South Africans had to go onto a three-year waiting list with the UK agent for the race to get an entry. “Luckily you can now enter directly, but once you’re entered, the challenging part lies in the training and preparation for the event, which includes sorting out your backpack, shoes, food and all your kit.”

“Once you arrive in the desert, funnily enough, the most challenging elements of the race are not the running or the heat, even though the highest recorded temperature was 54 degrees Celcius, but for me it was adjusting to life in the bivouac and sharing a tent with seven other mates! Luckily I was part of the Hope for Children group, running for the UK-based children’s charity, and we formed a great group. They say with a race like this your tent mates can either make it or break it for you. Mine were the best! The word self-sufficient took on a whole new meaning with the amount of sharing and caring shown by all of them.”

Another huge challenge for Moerieda was the logistics of the race. “If it was just running every day, the race would be fairly manageable, but with all the logistics it quickly becomes a lot trickier. It took me a good four days to get into my own rhythm, and I only really settled into the race on day three! But I guess the real big challenge of MDS is, of course, the sand! There is just no way of going faster than your fastest walk in the sand and blistering heat – unless of course you are a Moroccan or elite front runner – and as we hit sand dune after sand dune, I just kept saying to myself, Marathon of the Sands… this is your race!”

Latecomer to Running
By her own admission, Moerieda has no sporting background and zero athletic ability, so running is by far the most challenging thing she’s ever done, but she says it has put her on a path of physical, mental and spiritual transformation. “In 2010 I was trying to lose a few kilos and find that elusive work-life balance at the age of 40, because I’m a bit of a workaholic. And that first year I lost 22kg just training on the elliptical trainer and watching my diet. Meanwhile, my husband Adam had started running and he was having so much fun at the races on the weekends, so I started reading his running magazines and found interesting articles on how running has transformed people’s lives. Having lost so much weight, I was ready to push the boundaries, so I signed up for the 2011 Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon in Cape Town, and that turned out to be a life-changing experience. I kept thinking, why did I not do this earlier. I was hooked!”

Today she says she has lost count of the races she has successfully tackled, including thee Comrades Marathons, which set her up well for the MDS challenge, but in October last year she fell and badly injured her ankle while training for the 100km Skyrun, and then she developed a mysterious blister problem. “I was even getting them on short runs and it frustrated the hell out of me. I now suspect it was the socks I was testing, but going into the race was a case of not ‘if I get blisters,’ but ‘when I get blisters,’ and I was ready for it! I even went to see a podiatrist and learnt to tape my feet, but as expected, I suffered blisters from day one at MDS!”

“Hell, it was painful, and every day there were more. Fortunately, the medical team at MDS are the best, and I think the dropout rate would be much higher at MDS if it wasn’t for Doc Trotters and his team. They took very good care of my feet. I remember on day two, after 39.1km in 50-plus degrees, my feet were so sore that my tears just started rolling in the medical tent. The doc looked at me with a smile and told me that I am a very strong woman. I cried even more after he said that, but felt strong when I walked out, ready to face day three! The blisters really affected me on the long day four stage, with its seven checkpoints. I had to stop at checkpoint four for over 30 minutes to attend to my feet, and again at checkpoint 5, as the blisters were killing me!”

Ultimate Runner’s High
While the blisters were one of the low points of Moerieda’s MDS experience, she says there were plenty of highlights as well. “My first surprise was race director Patrick Bauer and the whole MDS crew singing Happy Birthday to me at Quarzazate airport when I arrived. Another highlight was starting each stage to the tune of Highway to Hell, with helicopters flying low to film us. I always set off with my heart pounding, thinking this is it, I am actually running the MDS. Oh, and being surprised by the organisers with a can of ice cold Coke on day five! It’s the little things…”

“Surviving the decent of the last jebel on day two sticks in my memory. Legs deep in the sand making your way down the dune, it felt like skiing down a mountain slope in the Alps! All I could think of was, ‘What an adventure!’ And that after being in tears just two minutes before the decent, telling the organisers I didn’t think I could go down the jebel by myself! Another highlight was finishing day three feeling strong and very proud of myself, because day two was tough and had me at my lowest point, so finishing day three on a high was good for me from a mental and emotional perspective. I felt like I had ‘qualified’ for the 86.4km day four stage. In fact, for some weird reason, I felt like I had finally earned the right to be at the MDS!”

“I only have great memories of the MDS. I loved running in the desert. It is so beautiful out there, and I loved everything about the race, the organisation, the organisers, camp life, my tent mates, the routes… even the heat, and the six-hour bus ride from Quarzazate to the desert! The opportunity to be part of an event like the MDS, to run through the Sahara Desert, make new friends and to push your limits is priceless! The cut-offs at the MDS are very generous, so if you prepare well in the months before the event, you are almost guaranteed a successful MDS finish. And memories for a lifetime!”

Next on the Bucket List
After years of dreaming about MDS, Moerieda says she has struggled to get going again after coming back from the desert. “Some of my tent mates were doing 100km races within weeks of the MDS, but I feel I went into a kind of running depression, because I was thinking what next? Fortunately, I have found some answers to that question. I want to focus on building my new management consultancy business, but at the same time, running has brought me so much joy and opportunity, so I don’t want to let it go. And when it comes to running, the simple, easy races just don’t do it for me… so my next big thing will be the Tour de Geants, or Tour of Giants, in Italy in 2020.”

“It’s 330km with 24,000m of altitude gain, which is like climbing Everest three times, and you’re given 150 hours to finish, so I don’t know if I can do it, but I have to set myself a plan and then walk the motion, because I want to become a giant. That’s the goal for 2020, and along the way I want to run the 110km Lavaredo Ultra Trail in Italy in 2018, and I have put my name in the pot for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in France in 2019. I believe that you must run with dreams in your heart and visions of doing something great, and that keeps me motivated. Thanks to MDS, I feel like I have achieved something great, and I hope it will inspire others.”

Some people see running and being active as a chore, but Lisa Ogilvie is not one of them. She sees it as a way of showing gratitude for the second chance at life that she feels she has been given. – BY PJ MOSES

When Lisa headed to Nigeria in mid-2014 to visit her husband Dean, where he was working at the time, she had no idea the trip would turn her life upside down. While there she was bitten by a mosquito and contracted cerebral malaria, which in many cases leads to death. Soon after returning to South Africa, she began showing symptoms as the sickness took hold and her mother decided to take her to hospital. Fortunately the doctor in the emergency unit recognised the signs of malaria and asked Lisa if she had recently travelled, but by then the illness was well advanced. The doctors tried everything, but began losing hope that she would pull through.

“My Mom had to make the toughest call of her life by letting my husband know that he had to come home, because it didn’t look good,” recalls Lisa. When he arrived, the doctors told the family there was nothing more they could do for Lisa, and it seemed only a miracle could save her now. “I believe this is where God intervened and made me well again. Many people prayed for my recovery, even when all hope seemed lost, and God heard their prayers and spared me. The doctors gave up on me and thought I would not survive. But I am still here, I am still alive. That’s why I am a miracle. I was part of his plan and my time was not finished yet.”

Bouncing Back
Nevertheless, Lisa’s recovery still took almost a year and a half, and took a superhuman effort on her part. “I had to learn everything again… how to walk, to drive and even how to just live again. Fortunately my family was very supportive and patient with me.” She also changed many of her old habits on the road to recovery. She became a vegetarian and now prefers juice to solid foods, and says, “I don’t even drink wine anymore, and to be honest, I don’t miss it at all.”

Another change to her daily routine was doing more strenuous exercise as soon as she was physically able – a big change from her previous lifestyle, where she used to love socialising with friends and not even thinking of a healthy approach. “I had started walking with my Mom because I thought I was a little overweight,” says Lisa, adding that evolving from a walker to a runner was less of an effort than she thought it would be. “I always dreamt of being a long distance runner when I was a little girl and now I am finally able to live that dream. It is amazing and I don’t take it for granted. I am happy. I’m healthy and I can run. I have my husband, my family and God, that is all I need.”

Now she lives every day to the full and finds happiness in the little things life has to offer, like walking her dogs or going for a run. “Running helped me so much. It helped me to deal with what I went through and now I can’t stop running. I get tears in my eyes when I run, I’m so happy.”

Running for a Cause
However, Lisa was not content with just changing her own life, she was determined to do good for others by running for a cause. “While recovering my health, I was motivated to run the half marathon at the Old Mutual Two Oceans in 2016. I couldn’t get an entry, so thought I would try to get a charity entry. Something about my story and the Non-profit organisation Cape Kidney Association just clicked, and I knew I wanted to run for them.”

That saw Lisa make contact with Molly Fabe at Cape Kidney, who was both touched and inspired by Lisa’s story. “Molly asked me to speak at their end-of-year event, and she has been very supportive of my journey, while I have been blessed by her presence.” In turn, Lisa has been able to raise funds for Cape Kidney by using her running as a way for people to get involved and to also create much needed awareness. “I was able to raise R20,000 at Two Oceans 2016, which was my first major race since getting my health back again.”

Having gone on to run the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon later in 2016, Lisa decided to join the Bellville Athletic Club in 2017, and specifically the legendary Wietse van der Westhuizen’s training group, in order to become a better, stronger runner. “Being with them has been so great for me. The training is good and intense. I like that. And the support and motivation from the other runners has also helped me a lot. I believe even more in myself now.”

Going Bigger in 2018
In 2017, Lisa once again ran the Two Oceans Half and the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, amongst other races, all while continuing to raise funds for Cape Kidney, and looking ahead, she has already set her sights on bigger things. Not only is she hoping to run the 56km Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, but she has also secured an entry to the Paris Marathon next April. And she doesn’t seem too worried that Paris is only five days after Two Oceans. “I want to go to Paris and make a difference. I’ve got such a passion for my running and my charity, so I want people to join me on this amazing journey.”

She’s hoping her drive will help to raise R100,000 for Cape Kidney when she does Paris. “My motto is: Creating dreams by uplifting others. This has been my mantra as I go forward. I am smiling the whole time when out running because I feel so blessed to be here to do this.” She adds that it really helps having such great support. Besides Dean, her mom is her biggest supporter, going with to most of her races. “She comes to fetch me the morning of a race and then she stays there till I cross the finish line.”

Unsurprisingly, given the serious nature of her illness, Lisa has had to overcome a few health setbacks along the way that have prevented her from doing some of her other goal races, but she says she won’t be defeated that easily. “I’m a little fighter. I pick myself up and then I go again. I tell myself: ‘Sit jou voetjies in jou skoenkies en hardloop.’ (Put your feet in your shoes and go run. – Ed.) It helps me a lot to keep on moving forward, no matter what, because I believe that you must live your life to the full, because you can do anything that you want to. And please look after your kidneys!”