Author: Modern Athlete

This January Derick Marcisz of Jeppe Quondam Athletics Club in Johannesburg celebrated 40 incredible years of being a runner, during which he has raced against some of South Africa’s best runners, represented his country and covered more than 100 000km.

In January of 1970, having just turned 15, I started my standard nine year at Sir John Adamson High School in the south of Jo’burg. A few days after school started, the vice-principal called all the standard nines to a meeting and told us that we should get more involved in school activities and do a sport as well as another club activity in preparation for being the following year’s matrics. Now I lacked the skills to play ball sports, so I joined the athletics team and tried the 800m and 1500m events. No spectacular debut, but I enjoyed the running and the competition, so after the track season I started to train for the winter cross-country season. My fitness improved and suddenly I was the second-fastest runner on the team.

I continued to run on my own and then in October 1970, a friend suggested I join him at Johannesburg Harriers Athletic Club (JHAC). By January 1971 I had significantly improved my track times and was unbeaten over 1500m at the interschool events. Cross-country followed and I ran for both the school and the club. I was selected to represent Southern Transvaal at the SA under-17 Cross-Country Champs in Stellenbosch, where I finished 12th and completely surprised my class teacher. She said that I was the last person in the school she expected to succeed at sport!

1972 was spent doing national service in the army, but as an athlete I had an easy time, running track and cross-country for the Defence Force Pretoria Club each weekend. I did not make much athletic progress that year, although I did do my first 21km and 42km – the marathon was without any specific training and I clocked 3:20.

BREAKTHROUGH YEAR
In 1973 I started my working life in Nedbank’s International Division. I also decided that I wanted to run the Comrades that year, so I began to do daily longer runs and ran the Korkie 56km in 4:05. This built a good fitness base, so when the cross-country season started and I added speed work, my performances improved dramatically. I did not do the Comrades in the end, concentrating instead on cross-country, and winning all the provincial under-19 titles and the SA Champs in Durban. I also ran the Golden Reef Marathon in 2:40 as a training run, and won a 25km race as well as the Harrismith Mountain race.

My peak athletic years were from 1973 to 1985, during which I represented the province in track (5000m and 10 000m), cross-country (12km) and on the road (15km, 21km and 42km) and ran 25 sub-2:30 marathons, always placing in the top ten. I ran my first sub-2:30 in 1975 and got my personal best of 2:17:17 when I won the 1982 Transvaal Champs. Road racing was very competitive in the 80s. There were fewer events than today, so most of the bigger races like Striders, Pick n Pay, Peninsula and Jackie Gibson to name a few, were contested by most of the top runners. The times that we ran then are still good enough to win these events in 2010!

It was also very exciting to be part of the start of ’multi-racial athletics‘ in 1975, when we first ran against athletes of colour. I finished third in 2:25 at the SA Marathon Champs in Stellenbosch behind Gabashane Rakabela, who also became the first black athlete to win Two Oceans. 

The next year all events were multi-racial and I raced Rakabela in the Callies 25km night race, where I was defending champ. We ran neck-and-neck through the streets of Germiston and were still together as we got onto the track, where he managed to outsprint me for the win. It was a privilege being part of that era.

MR CONSISTENCY
My training was based on New Zealand coach, Arthur Lydiard’s, principles of  consistent training throughout the year, but building up to peak performances. During peak training we ran 145km to 160km a week, with the usual long run and speed work sessions. We also did a lot of cross-country racing in the winter. I have used these same principles for training for the last 40 years, and still believe that consistency is the key to performance at any age and ability.

I loved the hills! One of my favourite marathons was the Jackie Gibson, which is renowned for its hills. I was the first runner to break 2:30 for the course when I won in 2:27 in 1976, and I successfully defended my title the next year against Alan Robb, winning with a new record of 2:26. The 1976 race was special in that I had been on holiday touring Europe for two months and returned out of shape and with some extra kilo’s. The press decided I did not have a chance of defending my title, so beating  Alan and setting a new record was most satisfying!

Although distances from 21km up to the marathon were my best, I did manage gold medals or top tens in a few of the ultras: Bergville 1978 (ninth in 3:18), Two Oceans 1979 (ninth in 3:28), Korkie 1980 (third in 3:20), City to City 1981 (fourth with Bruce Fordyce in 2:54), Two Oceans 1982 (sixth in 3:19) and City to City 1983 (third in 2:58). The 1983 City to City was one of my last major attempts at an ultra, and I    should have won that race. I took the lead at 35km, went through the 42km mark in 2:26, but then the hills took their toll. I had also become a bit dehydrated, and as we turned into Wanderers Stadium, I was caught by both Hosea Tjale and Michael Rakabela, and finished a disappointing third.

COMRADES
I ran my first Comrades in 1975. My club had decided to send a team to the London to Brighton 52-mile race in the UK, so I started training for longer distances that January. I managed my fi rst sub-2:30 at the Southern Transvaal Marathon Champs in March, finishing third in 2:28:30, but then injury slowed my training somewhat. I still managed to fi nish the up Comrades of 1975 in 52nd position, in a time of 6:50 for 91km.

Later that year, six of us went to London on what was my first overseas trip (which ignited my love for travelling). London to Brighton itself was a major letdown compared to Comrades, in terms of atmosphere. I think we were no more than 200 runners and after a few miles it was like a club training run, with the field spread and no support at all along the way. An incident at the start that I will never forget was when my club mate Bernie Sham removed his tracksuit pants and found that he had forgotten his running shorts! Thankfully a runner from Springs Striders had a spare pair.

I never really enjoyed the Comrades and have only done four. In 1981 I trained with Bruce Fordyce (he went on to win his first), so I was really fit and managed to run 2:56 through halfway, but then went too hard for the next 15km. At 64km I was on 4min/km pace, heading for a sub-6:00 and lying ninth! Then I hit the wall big time and dropped back to finish about 90th in 6:49.

GETTING WHEELS
By the end of 1985, I had to take a break from running due to Achilles tendon problems. It was the start of the cycle craze, so I bought a bike too. One of South Africa’s top cyclists lived in the same street and so I started riding with the top cyclists. Whilst I never had the power to sprint or break away in races, my slight build made me a good climber, so I was reasonably competitive in races, with a best finish of 17th in the 1988 Argus Cycle race.

I also started to compete in duathlons, which had just started as the winter alternative to triathlons. My newfound cycling skills allowed me to be competitive, but during this time I did sport mostly for enjoyment, having a young family as well as  increasing work responsibilities that required a lot of overseas travelling. The simple nature of running allowed me to run in some exotic places. It is a fantastic way of seeing a new city or country and I have run in 30-odd countries that I have visited.

In 1991 I accepted a work posting to Singapore, where I lived with my family for four years. We had a fantastic time there and again I managed to continue to run – quite difficult in the heat and humidity. We also travelled to interesting events in the region, and I remember a great weekend in Thailand running the Bridge Over the River Kwai 21km. We returned to SA in 1995  and I decided to move from the south to Observatory. It was not long before I met an old running friend from the early days, Barry Holland, who convinced me to join Jeppe.

TRIATHLON YEARS
This will be my tenth year doing triathlons, but it seems only a few years ago that I nervously waited for the swim start in my first Energade Triathlon in Germiston. I started doing triathlons as a result of a challenge over a few glasses of wine with our ‘lunch club’. All our children had done the Midmar Mile swim with their schools, so I challenged my friends to make up triathlon teams, with the kids doing the swimming, the adults running and cycling, and I would do all three disciplines! I was not much of a swimmer, but my cycling and running ability saw me finish in the veterans’ top ten at that first race and I was hooked!

The competitive instinct came to the fore again, and I have loved competing in the age group categories that make triathlon so special. I have managed to finish in the top three in all SA Triathlon Champs since 2002, winning the over-50s in 2005 and 2006. Competing at the World Triathlon and Duathlon Champs in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2009 has been a wonderful experience, especially since I could not compete overseas during my peak years due to Apartheid and sanctions. But one of the hardest events I have ever done was my 2005 Ironman – 12 hours is a long time! I would certainly recommend that all runners attempt this amazing event once in their lifetimes.

GIVING BACK
I have always believed in getting involved and so even from my early days with  JHAC, I served on committees and helped organise events and training. I am currently Chairperson of Central Gauteng Triathlon and although it can be timeconsuming, I really enjoy being involved. And I hope to be running, cycling and swimming for a good many years to come!

It was his fourth duathlon race ever and all the big sporting names were there. He left his bike, which he had borrowed from a friend, in the transition area with those of the other elite competitors before warming up. But when Jason Spong got back, officials had moved his bike, as they did not think it belonged to an elite athlete. Little did they know that the guy whose bike they had dismissed as non-elite, would not only become the new SA Champion that day, but also a world class duathlete. And now he is taking on Ironman South Africa.

Jason Spong has come a long way from borrowing bikes. His name is synonymous with outstanding sporting performances and podium placings at several gruelling Powerman races around the world, where he regularly takes on the best international athletes.

His commitment to sport started at a young age; as a ten-year-old he was cycling every weekend, dreaming of one day competing in the Tour de France. However, those days Jason always got left way behind by the other boys. He eventually got so bored riding his bike alone that he sang songs to himself while riding right at the back. But how things have changed…

Today this 33-year-old hardly ever gets left behind. He knows the feeling of being right up there with the world’s best and has a sporting CV of note: first at Powerman Germany 2009, first at Powerman Malaysia 2005 and 2008, second at Powerman Luxembourg 2009, first at the World Amatuer Duathlon Championships 2003, South African Duathlon Champion, first at Afriman Duathlon 2006, and so the list goes on. He finished the 2008/2009 season ranked seventh in the world in the final Powerman World Rankings.

Jason says his sporting career up to now has been an awesome journey filled with incredible experiences, victories and performances, both locally and internationally, but the road to becoming a professional athlete has not always been easy.

SPORTING GENES
Jason was born into a sporting family; his dad, Dennis, was a bodybuilder who finished third at the Mr SA Competition before he took on cycling and raced as a veteran at the World Cycling Championships in Austria. Jason’s dad owned a gym in the south of Johannesburg. “You could say we grew up in a gym. It’s strange that my brother and I never became bodybuilders, but instead ended up being skinny endurance athletes! My parents allowed us to become anything we wanted to. They never pushed us to do anything we did not want to. They have always encouraged us and stood behind us no matter what,” says Jason.

As a 13-year-old, he cycled the Argus Cycle Tour with his cousins and uncle, but lost them along the way and still finished in sub-three hours – not bad for a young boy! But Jason soon began to dislike cycling as he was the smallest in the group and was always left behind. He decided to concentrate on running after competing in a modern biathlon (100m swim and 2km run). Jason was way ahead on the run, but got left behind in the pool. He started winning most cross-country races and in high school, broke all the school records. “I believed running was what I was meant to do. I didn’t want to know anything about bikes or pools.”

LONG AND WINDING ROAD
After school Jason got a scholarship from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, USA, but never got to race as his coach struggled to overturn a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) technical ruling that prohibited him from competing. It was a hard and lonely time for Jason as he was far away from his family and had to train alone, hoping things would be resolved. “I remember running track sessions all by myself. I was in good shape and was doing 1 000m in 2:36min/km pace.” Unfortunately the problems with the NCAA were never resolved and Jason returned home, feeling despondent about running.

But his sporting family’s influence was always present and his sister, Samantha, an excellent triathlete, convinced Jason to compete in a team triathlon with her. Shortly afterwards at the 1999 Gauteng Duathlon Champs, he clinched second position. It was only his third ever duathlon – and a month later he won the SA Duathlon Champs  held in Sun City.

“It was a good time but also a bad time. Because of my performance at SAs, everyone thought I was going to win the World Duathlon Champs. I was an amateur and did not know much about compression socks, eating on the plane and altitude sickness. I made many mistakes in my build-up to the race; two weeks before the race I did a 200km ride with a friend. That was stupid, but then I did not know any better.”

He had a disappointing race at the World Champs, but it motivated him to train even harder. “I was so angry with myself. Every night I went to a track close to my aunt’s house and ran 8km as fast as I could,” says Jason, who after the World Champs stayed with an aunt in California for 18 months. “On some nights I ran the 8km in about 24 minutes. I had to clear my mind and say to myself, my performance wasn’t because I was weak but because something was wrong with my body. Everyone had their own opinions about my performance at Worlds, but I had to clear it up in my head for myself.”

While living in California Jason worked in a sport shop, competing in as many duathlons as he could. He also started swimming and participated in some triathlons. He came back to SA for a while before returning to America a third time at the end of 2002. But after battling for eight months to get a visa, Jason found himself back in his home country.

The decision to specialise in duathlons came after Jason’s father and sister qualified in their respective age groups for the World Duathlon Champs. His brother, Rory, was racing in Switzerland and Jason decided to join them all. He got a wild card entry as an age grouper and ended up winning his age group. “From there my focus was purely on duathlons. I risked everything for it. Every penny I had I put into my sport.”

POWERMAN
Jason began to excel at the Powerman races, winning his first ever Powerman race in 2005 in Malaysia, breaking the course record by two minutes. Unfortunately, he battled to find sponsors back home. Things were no better in America, where he worked in a multi-sport store in Richmond, Virginia in 2007. “It’s unfortunate that duathlons are not seen in the same light as triathlons. It’s seen as a secondary sport to triathlons.” So in 2007 Jason returned home.

His most memorable race came in 2008 when he won Powerman Malaysia for the second time. “When I crossed the finish line the race director was in tears because she knew my story and the uphills I had fought. That day I had won and beat the best in the world. My mom was there, standing right at the finish line. It was special and emotional for me because my family has gone through this whole journey with me.”

Recently Jason, who prefers specialising in long distance duathlons, competed in a shorter distance duathlon series in South Africa, the 2009 Momentum Health Teavigo National Duathlon Series, fi nishing third. He continued to excel at the Powerman races. Last year he finished third at Powerman Malaysia but an iron deficiency saw him dropping out of Powerman Austria. Unfortunately, he did not recover fast enough and this led to a disappointing 15th position at the 2009 Powerman World Championships in Zofingen, Switzerland.

THE JOURNEY TO IRONMAN
Duathlons will always hold a special place in Jason’s heart and he would like to compete in many more, but the reality is that triathlons attract more sponsors and offer better prize money. “I am 33 years old and I don’t want to scramble around for race entry fees. I am living my dream and I have had good results, but I need to earn a salary to fi t the dream. There are many Ironman races on the calendar and they all offer good prize money.”

Jason has always dreamt of competing at Ironman Hawaii. Doing well at Ironman South Africa on 25 April will hopefully be the first step in realising that dream. He finished 19th at Ironman SA in 2005, but says that his placing was not an indication of his ability, as a bike crash only weeks before the race kept him from training.

THE COACH
Last year Jason met John Hamlet, one of the country’s top running coaches, and the two of them immediately clicked. “I have been with a lot of coaches but I have been mainly self-coached. After Zofingen I felt I needed somebody. When John and I started chatting he said the things I wanted to hear. There is hard training and then there is hard training with passion. John oozes this passion.”

Former top triathlete Dominique Donner also helps Jason with his swimming. “I am in a fortunate position to be coached by them. John overlooks my whole training programme. He knows everything about ultra-distance training and though his speciality lies with running, the principles for ultra-distance cycling and swimming are the same.”

Jason trains an average of four hours a day, doing specific workouts that build power, speed, endurance and all other facets of his racing ability. Mentally the hardest part of his training is swimming because he has never really had a great love for it. Physically he finds the three- to four-hour training rides, directly followed by two-hour runs challenging, but believes it is all worth it on his path to Ironman. “I believe I can finish in the top five.”

SPONSORSHIP
A friend asked Jason, who has a PB of 30:50 for 10km and 68:03 for 21.1km, what the difference was between him and the best in the world. “Only support,” Jason answered. “I know I have the mental strength, the ability and the experience. I don’t need a special bike or special  running shoes. I have what it takes. But I just need support. If I have support I know I can make it.” For someone who has achieved so much and successfully represented his country at several international races, it’s hard to believe that Jason battles to find more sponsorship. He is currently sponsored by Nike, PeptoPro? and S2R Projects.

“The reality is that duathlons and triathlons don’t attract the attention a sport such as rugby does. In other countries it attracts huge crowds. Also, sponsors in South Africa don’t think long term when it comes to developing athletes. They don’t develop an athlete to become a world champion. They first want you to win the World Championship before you get support. The reality is that you can’t win a World Championship on your own, with no support. I have never been to a World Championship with support. I had to find my own sponsors.”

It’s these hard financial times that have made Jason sometimes wonder if it is all worth it. But every time his love for the sport outweighs the sacrifices. “I believe with anything you do in life, you can never reach your full potential unless you have  passion for what you do. Disappointments at races just made me more determined. Your bad races tell you more about yourself than your good races. Sometimes you have a great day but you really have to fight for your victories. When you lose, it takes a real athlete to come back and be strong.”

DREAMS
Jason wants to remain true to his first love, duathlons. “I want to keep to my roots and compete in as many Powerman Zofingen and Malaysia races as possible.” But for  now, his heart is set on one thing only. “Ironman South Africa is going to become a special race for me because it is home. It is a place where all my friends, parents and family can stand on the side and experience the race with me.” So what happens after that? “As far as I am concerned there is only one Ironman and that is Ironman Hawaii. You have not walked the walk until you have done Hawaii!”

He will always compete in sport but one day, when the competitive aspect is no longer there, Jason would like to own an airbrushing business, airbrushing bicycles, helmets and motorbikes. In between training now, he spends time painting and designing.

Jason has come a long way and hopes that Ironman SA will be the start of an even greater journey. One thing is for sure, no race official will ever again remove Jason Spong’s bike from any transition area!

Most of us have watched the Boston, Chicago, New York, London and Berlin marathons on television, taking in the historic sights and great scenery of some of the world’s greatest cities. These five races form the World Marathon Majors Series, which offers a $1 million prize purse to be split equally between the top male and female marathoners in the series. Watching the best marathoners in the world straining every sinew for the prestigious wins and chasing world record times makes for super viewing!

Apart from the appeal the elite frontrunners bring to these events, it is the thousands of backmarkers who make these marathons so spectacular. They come from all walks of life, each one with a different goal and many running for a worthy cause. One such runner is Kay Naicker from Verulam Athletic Club in KwaZulu-Natal.

BEGINNING IN BOSTON
She had only been running for a year when she decided to tackle her first major marathon, the 2005 Boston Marathon. And it all happened by chance. Kay’s daughter, Kubeshini, has lived in the USA since 2004 and Kay was planning to visit her. “One of my club members suggested I run a marathon while I’m there. As soon as I booked my ticket I started training hard,” says Kay, who in the process became good friends with Marie Howarth of Penthouse Travel Sporting Tours, the South African company that offers tour package deals with guaranteed entries for a number of big city marathons. Marie regularly accompanies South African tour groups to these races, and Kay has booked all her marathon tours through Marie.

Kay remembers the Boston Marathon as an amazing experience, though the course was very hilly. Initially she did not consider raising money while running, but as she arrived in Boston her daughter’s mentor and friend, Mark Davidson, passed away from lymphatic cancer. Kay decided to wear a little tag from an American group raising money for cancer. This was the start of her journey to not only run all the big city marathons, but to also raise money for several worthy causes.

LONDON AND KILIMANJARO
The year 2006 was a busy one for Kay. Not only did she take on the London  Marathon, she also tackled Mount Kilimanjaro. “It was a hectic year, but an amazing journey. I enjoyed the race so much. It rained from start to finish, but there were so many South Africans in London. You see a lot of them having braais next to the road. When they saw me in my SA vest they shouted, ‘Go SA!’ ”

While she was preparing for London, Kay decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with her friend, Vanessa Phillips. In the process they raised R70 000 for the Verulam Hospice.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!
Barely back in South Africa, Kay decided to run the 2007 New York Marathon, raising money for the Starfish Foundation, an organisation that helps children who have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/Aids. “I ran the race with Marie and a group of other South Africans. What I enjoy most about these races is the great atmosphere. There is not a single place where you are running alone or where there are no supporters next to the road.”

ON TO BERLIN
Kay’s fourth international marathon was the Berlin Marathon in September 2008. She did not manage to raise money on this trip as she got caught up at work and did not have enough time to plan it. “I will never forget a man I met at this race, though I don’t even know his name! I saw him every 5km up to 35km and every time he shouted, ‘Go SA!’ At the 35km mark I said to him, ‘I want to see you at the end.’ And there he was waiting at the end. I went up to him and gave him a big hug. That is what I like about running; making friends along the way.”

The highlight of Kay’s trip was when she met race winner and marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia at a party after the race. “That was the day he broke the world record for the second time in Berlin. It was amazing and I got to shake his hand. He is such a down-to-earth man.”

CHICAGO CONCLUSION
In October last year on her granddaughter’s birthday, Kay and her daughter ran the Chicago Marathon together. “It was so cold, only 8?C by the time we finished. As I finished the announcer made an announcement that I have just completed the five major marathons. It was a special race for me as my daughter and granddaughter were there; three generations together.”

It’s hard to choose the best race out of all five, says Kay. “They are all different and amazing. In London the crowds were overwhelming, in Boston it was a public holiday and all the school children were out supporting, and in New York there were all the different and beautiful bridges to admire. Standing at the start at each one of these marathons was so exciting!”

A WORTHY CAUSE
Kay, who has been with First National Bank for 34 years, working on projects and development for low-cost housing, has also been part of the FNB employee  volunteers programme, in which employees are encouraged to give of their time and money to support community development projects of their choice. “I am very passionate about charity. It is close to my heart because I come from a poor family where we could not afford things. Now I am much more comfortable and I have to give something back. I love making a difference in the lives of people.”

There is no stopping Kay now. She is planning on running The Great Wall Marathon in China and climbing Mount Everest. She knows she is capable of it because this Durban grandmother believes in never quitting.

Each one of the big five city marathons has a rich history.

1. The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon and is run on Patriots’ Day, the third Monday of April every year. It was first held in 1897 and was inspired by the success of the first modern day marathon race in the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The number of people taking part has more than doubled over the past decade; from 1997 to 2007 the number has grown from 10 471 to 23 869. Runners start in the rural town of Hopkinton and run the legendary course through eight cities and towns before finishing in Boston’s Back Bay. One of the legendary landmarks on this route is Heartbreak Hill.


2. The Chicago Marathon is held yearly in Cook County, Illinois. It is one of the fastest growing marathons in the world, due largely to its fast and flat course that weaves through 29 diverse neighbourhoods and passes dozens of local and historic landmarks. The popularity of the race has seen entries grow from around 16 000 runners in 1997 to around 45 000, which is the limit now imposed by the organisers. It has no qualification requirements and entries are available on a first come, first served basis.


3. The New York City Marathon is certainly the biggest, with over 100 000 runners applying to run every year, but only some 40 000 are accepted. The race was first run  in 1970 when no more than 100 athletes raced around Central Park to log the required 42.2km They each paid just a dollar and only 55 crossed the finish line. Today this marathon has developed into a major sporting event and many celebrities run as well, including Lance Armstrong, Katie Holmes and Puff Daddy in the last few years.


4. The Berlin Marathon was first run in 1974 and traditionally takes place on the last weekend in September. With more than 35 000 official finishers from more than 100 countries and more than one million spectators, Berlin is one of the most popular road races in the world. The most marathon world records for men and women have been set on the Berlin course, which is known for its flat profile, even surface and frequently mild autumn temperatures. It starts and finishes near the Brandenburg Gate, one of Berlin’s most famous landmarks, and also passes other notable landmarks such as the Reichstag and Berliner Dom.


5. The London Marathon has been run each year since 1981.The course is fast and flat, and basically runs along the River Thames on the south side and then the north side after crossing the river by the famous Tower Bridge. Marathoners will pass a number of famous London landmarks, including the Tower of London, London Eye and the 140-year-old clipper ship, the Cutty Sark. The race is known for the large amounts of money it raises for charity. According to the race organisers, it is now the largest annual fundraising event in the world, with the 2006 participants raising over R500 million for charity.

He finished sixth in the 1500m at the 2008 Olympics and many thought he would bring home a medal from the 2009 World Champs, but those dreams were shattered when an injury forced Juan van Deventer to lay off running for a year. Now he is back on track, hoping to bring home a medal when he competes at the IAAF World Indoor Championships next month.

His comeback at the end of last year was spectacular. The tall 26-year-old posted a third consecutive victory at the RAC Tough One 32km in Johannesburg, running uncontested for most of the route that is known for its many unforgiving hills, and clocking his fastest time of 1:43:33. He followed this up with another win at the recent Dis-Chem Half Marathon in Bedfordview, finishing in 1:06:41. Not bad for an athlete who specialises in middle distance track events.

Juan believes his performances at the Tough One and Dis-Chem are a good indication of his renewed strength and fitness for the upcoming World Indoor Champs in Doha, Qatar from 12 to 14 March, as well as the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India in October. He is currently competing in the European international indoor track circuit, with the last race to be held on 23 February. “I am using the indoor circuit as a build-up to the World Indoor Champs, where I am hoping to perform well.”

HIGHS AND LOWS
Juan has always preferred individual sport and has been running for as long as he can remember. “Since I’ve been young, sport has been everything. It has been the only thing I ever wanted to do and the only thing I have been sure of wanting to do.”

Over the years he has continued to impress against the world’s best, but his greatest achievements came in 2008. He reached the 1500m Olympic final and, in the same year, finished third at the African Champs in Ethiopia. One of his greatest moments came in July 2008 when he broke the longstanding South African 3000m record (7:44.00) of track legend Johan Fourie, set in 1985. Juan smashed it by finishing in 7:41.06.

“My manager phoned me just before and said he got me into the race. I knew I had a chance to break the record because I ran a good 1500m (3:35.20) in Belgium a couple of days before.” But then in 2009 Juan was diagnosed with a stress fracture. “I ran a 1500m event in New York and finished second, but afterwards I could barely walk. I was out for a year, missing the international track season as well as the World Champs. It was so disappointing.”

TRAINING TIME
Juan’s coach, Gerrie Coetzee, who also coaches top SA female track and road athlete Ren? Kalmer, is right behind his athlete’s road running ‘excursions’. “Gerrie believes one can excel in shorter and longer distances. I won’t run 32km in the middle of the track season, but towards the end of last year it was a good test. Gerrie wants me to try a marathon later this year.”

For Juan road running is sometimes more enjoyable than track running. “A track event is over within minutes. You have either won or not. But when you are running a road race and there is 5km left with your closest competitor two minutes behind, you have time to enjoy the last few kilometres. Also, the crowds next to the road give me goosebumps.”

Juan runs about 160km weekly, training seven days a week and running 8km to 15km every morning. “I run those sessions fast, 3:20min/km and faster. Gerrie calls it ideal conditioning.” On Tuesdays and Thursdays he focuses on strength in the gym and on Thursdays, it’s track endurance. Saturdays are reserved for speed work and Sundays for 24km to 40km progressive runs; starting at a 3:45min/km pace and finishing at 3:15min/km.

FUTURE OF TRACK
“A while ago I looked at a picture of Johan Fourie running the mile. Crowds packed the stadium. These days you are lucky to get 100 people at a local meeting,” says Juan, who has a BCom Sports Management degree as well as a diploma and certificate in sports administration.

“It is a fact that bad management and organisation have been part of athletics. Now is the time for someone to step in and put athletics back in place. Track running is an attractive sport. Internationally the stadiums are packed.”

LONELY ROAD
He loves travelling but the loneliness of it all sometimes gets to Juan. “Many times I am the only South African at a race. There is no coach and one has to train alone; that can be tough. I always try to keep in contact with someone back home to keep sane.”

Juan is good friends with fellow track star Johan Cronj?, whom he also describes as his greatest competitor. “We have so much in common. We have been swapping first and second position for a very long time.”

His parents, Frans and Sandy, and sister Cherie, are very supportive. “They try to go to every race. My parents will definitely be right there next to the track at World Indoors in March.”

DREAMING BIG
Juan says his big dream is to win gold at the 2012 Olympics. “There is no use in just saying I want to qualify for the Olympics or I want to make the final. I have done that. Now I want to win!”

He describes his 2008 Olympic performance as an amazing experience, but also disappointing, finishing sixth in 3:34.77. “Standing on the starting line amongst the top 12 athletes in the world was the greatest moment up to now. But I wasn’t happy with my performance. It felt as if I had a lot more left and as if I didn’t believe enough in myself. After the race I realised I could have had a medal.

I learnt a lot from that race.” Mental preparation is an important factor in Juan’s build-up to the 2012 Olympics. “I know how to train hard and how to live a disciplined life.
Now I just need to believe that I can be the best. That is the only way to run. One has to have a winning attitude.”

Racing is hard, but Juan says he is almost addicted to the feeling he gets after a race. “It is great walking off the line knowing that you have run as hard as you can and that you have achieved what you wanted to.”

This year will definitely see him running a marathon, and even the Comrades Marathon is on the cards in future years. “I would love to win an up and down Comrades – and set the record on both.” But for now his focus is on bringing a medal home from the World Champs. “I also know the SA mile and 1500m records are within my reach and it has to happen this year.”

He surely is capable of it all when one reads the words he lives by, which are stuck on the fridge of his West Rand home: “I am the master of my thoughts and the master of my reality.”

Juan’s Personal Bests

Like any new dad, he dreamt of playing sport with his son one day. But when Kevin Garwood’s baby was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, he abandoned those dreams. Kevin also gave up his job to take care of Nicholas, the son he loved more than life itself – but in the process he took on his son’s disability. He wouldn’t take part in any sport, believing one can’t compete with a disabled child. Until eight months ago, when Kevin saw a video clip of an American father competing in triathlons with his disabled son…

That was the day a nearly forgotten dream came alive in Kevin’s heart. When he showed the clip to 11-year-old Nicholas and saw the excitement in his son’s eyes, Kevin realised that nothing is impossible. Today this Johannesburg father and son take on sporting events that most able-bodied people wouldn’t dream of doing. This is the story of Team Garwood’s incredible journey towards their first Ironman triathlon.

The finish line of an Ironman race is an emotional place to be. For hundreds of athletes worldwide, the weeks and months of hard training and discipline culminate at the finish of these gruelling triathlons. And at each race, everyone from the elites to the backmarkers emerges as a champion in their own right. But at the recent Spec-Savers Ironman 70.3 SA, the image of two competitors will be etched into the memories of many fellow athletes and spectators for years to come.

When Kevin Garwood lined up with his disabled son for the 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km run, very few people were left untouched. Finishing this gruelling race on one’s own is a great feat in itself, but swimming, cycling and running with a disabled son is a commitment that goes far beyond that, and is one of the greatest gifts a father can give his son. Kevin pulled Nicholas in a special boat as they swam and towed him in a special trailer behind his bike for the cycle leg. Unfortunately Kevin did not manage to make the four-hour cut-off for the cycle leg and was not allowed to continue the run. Nevertheless, on that day, he not only realised his dream of  competing in a sport with his disabled son, but his performance also brought inspiration to so many others.

Kevin and Nicholas had only been competing in triathlons for six months before they took on Ironman 70.3, held on 17 January in Buffalo City. “We had an awesome swim, but the cycle was just too tough. About 15km into the cycle I realised we won’t make the cut-off time. I asked the support crew if we should stop or carry on. They  phoned the race director, Paul Wolf, and he said the people want us to finish. We eventually finished the cycle in six hours and the crowds went wild.” They are happy regardless of the result and plan to tackle Ironman 70.3 as well as the full Ironman (3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run) in 2011. “We are grateful to Triangle Sports who sponsored our entry and to all the supporters. We will be back.”

EARLY YEARS
Nicholas was a premature baby born at 35 weeks and suffered distress as the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. His left eye did not develop fully in the early stages of pregnancy and as a baby, he had an expander inserted to help grow the socket in which his prosthetic eye now fits.

When Nicholas battled to grow according to the standard milestones of child development, Kevin (46) and his wife, Cheryl (43), took him to a paediatrician who initially dismissed their concerns. A second opinion from another paediatrician established that Nicholas had a serious brain injury. He was diagnosed with Athetoid cerebral palsy with spasticity. Simply explained, this is a condition where the brain can’t send the correct messages to the muscles. Doctors told the couple that their son would never be able to walk or talk, that he would be in a state of vegetation, and would be uneducable. One doctor even suggested the Garwood’s find a suitable home for their son and ‘get on with their lives’. But the couple refused to give up hope. “Nicholas had a home; we did not need to find him a home. We refused to give up on him,” says Cheryl. The couple came across an American home-based therapy programme to help with Nicholas’ development. Kevin stopped working when Nicholas was two years old to take care of him fulltime. Cheryl, a manager at a large financial institution, kept things going on the work front.

The therapy programme did wonders for Nicholas, but after about three years, the Garwoods decided to stop as it was so intensive that volunteers were needed to help with hourly therapy sessions. Nicholas started attending a school for special needs children, but his parents were disappointed with his progress and decided to home school him. “He has just finished grade two and half of grade three and has made such good progress. He can be as naughty as any other school kid. At the end of November I said to him, ‘We have some books left to finish before we can go on holiday.’ Within two days he was finished with a week’s work and proclaimed he was ready for his holiday! He has a good understanding and a great sense of humour,” says Kevin.

THE START OF A COURAGEOUS JOURNEY
Kevin, who used to do a bit of running, has spent every possible hour of every day of  the last years trying to enrich his son’s life. But the thought of competing in a sport  with his son never really crossed his mind. “I never thought the two of us could do
something together. When you look at sport you sometimes have tunnel vision. You imagine only able-bodied people can compete and only those who are disabled in a certain way,” says Kevin.

In April last year he received a video clip from his pastor’s wife that would change his life forever. It was a clip called ‘My Redeemer Lives’ and it showed an American  father, Dick Hoyt, participating in an Ironman event with his disabled son, Rick, who has cerebral palsy caused by loss of oxygen to his brain at birth (see next page).

“I burst into tears when I saw it. As a father one of my biggest dreams was to one day be there for my son and support him in sporting events. I could never do that. Over the years I almost took on my son’s disability and limited my own physical abilities. When I saw this  video I realised there was a way to compete with my son.”

Kevin showed the video clip to his wife and then to Nicholas. “I asked him if he would like to do it and he immediately replied, ‘Yes, of course!’” At that stage Kevin did not even own a pair of running shoes, a swimsuit or a bike. He was unfit and about 10kg overweight, but the possibility of fulfilling a lifelong dream was far greater than any obstacles.

LEARNING CURVE
At first Kevin started training slowly. “I started out on a mountain bike but was so unfit everyone had to stop and wait for me.” His brother-in-law researched on the Internet and found a Wike, a trailer that converts into a jogger. It is specially made in Canada for special needs children. The Wike, which is much bigger than a normal jogger, hooks onto the back axle of a bike and when cycling, it looks like a trailer at the back of the bike. Adding a front wheel converts it into a jogger for running.

Kevin imported the Wike, which was probably the greatest gift he could ever give Nicholas. It arrived a week before his son’s birthday in May last year. Their first official race together was the 702 Walk the Talk before they tackled the Dome to Dome 40km cycle race. “That race was a wake up call for me because I realised I am nowhere near as fi t as I needed to be. The Wike weighs about 15kg and Nicholas another 30kg. Add that to my own weight and that of the bike and you can imagine the weight I need to cycle with,” says Kevin.

He refused to give up and worked hard on his fitness, losing 10kg in the process. Dad and son competed in the Mini Afriman, the 94.7 Cycle Challenge and a number of duathlons, triathlons, short road races and cycling events, learning as they went along. “In our first duathlon we were last! It took us forever to finish. Before the last run I asked Nicholas if we should stop or carry on. When he said, ‘I want my medal, Dad!’ we pushed on. People were just so supportive. By the time we were finishing they were already in their cars on their way home. But when they saw us, many stopped, got out of their cars and cheered us on.”

Kevin always makes sure he is allowed to compete with Nicholas before entering any race. “We have found the triathlon community to be very accommodating and open to us. The running community has been a bit more difficult as not all road races, especially the longer races, allow wheelchairs or joggers.”

THE LONG ROAD
When doing triathlons the family usually wakes up very early, as there is so much preparation to do and equipment to pack. “The night before a race Nicholas is always excited! He talks about it and wakes up early the next morning, telling everyone to get dressed,” says Kevin.

Arriving at events Team Garwood needs to keep focused when preparing as they have so much more to take into consideration than the average competitor. Kevin usually starts at the back when the swimming leg begins. He puts Nicholas into a kayak and swims with a ski rope attached to a hook on the boat and a belt on a harness he wears. “Nicholas loves the water and usually tells everyone around him to swim faster.”

When they get out of the water, Kevin carries Nicholas in his arms and runs with him to the transition area where the bikes are. “For us it is quite a mission going through the transition area. I need to see to Nicholas, to myself and organise our equipment. And don’t forget, I am also very competitive! It’s funny how competitive others can become when they see us passing them.”

Kevin puts Nicholas in the Wike, making sure he is well hydrated. “It’s very safe and stable. I have gone over 50km/hour on downhills.” Because the races are all endurance-based, the couple has taught Nicholas to hold his own bottle and drink water whenever he wants to. “We also pack sandwiches for him in case he gets hungry,” says Cheryl.

Kevin finds the cycling leg the hardest discipline, as the extra weight of the Wike and Nicholas’ weight make it tough, especially riding up hills. After the cycle Kevin converts the Wike into a jogger by adding a front wheel to it. Team Garwood’s strongest discipline is running and they have managed to get their running times down to about 55 minutes for 10km. “Nicholas loves to encourage me and usually shouts, ‘Run faster Daddy!’ or ‘Go Daddy go!’ He is not scared and loves it. His mom is more nervous than us!’”

Cheryl says Nicholas always shouts at the finish line, “I did it! I did it!” He also gets very upset when they finish a race and there is no medal at the end. “A T-shirt just doesn’t do it for him.”

AN AWESOME JOURNEY
Their journey has been filled with obstacles but at the same time, it has been amazing and inspiring. “It’s phenomenal what it has done for Nicholas. We can see a change in his personality, his speech is more fluent and he has a memory of note,” says Cheryl.

One thing they have realised is that there is no need to limit their lives or what they can do. “Sport has enriched our lives tremendously. Parents of special needs children should not impose limits on themselves and hide their children away,” says Cheryl.

When they look at their son with his two deep dimples, they see nothing but love. “As parents we look at our son with all the obstacles he has to face; yet he has such strong faith. He is an example to us. We admire his spontaneity and determination. And he loves people! He talks to everybody and reaches out to them. We were in the supermarket once and he reached out to a strange woman, grabbed her hand and said, ‘I love you.’ That is just the way he is. One of the things that is heartbreaking is that he wants to help with everything, but he is just so limited in what he can do,” says Cheryl.

Competing together as father and son has strengthened the strong bond Kevin and Nicholas have always had. “The journey has been good for both of us. We have always been close, but this has enhanced our bond. I believe nothing is impossible. One should never give up hope or believing. Our strong love bond with Nicholas has carried us through.”