Category: Features

When Mark Joubert was dared to run the 2017 Comrades Marathon by his closest mates, they didn’t think he would do it, but he proved them very wrong. Of course, it helped greatly that he stood to win R100,000 if he finished! – BY SEAN FALCONER

It all started during a somewhat drunken bachelor’s party late in 2016. Mark Joubert was one of the groomsmen at a mate’s wedding, and during the bachelor’s, talk somehow turned to the Comrades Marathon. (As happens at all good bachelor’s parties!) Boys will be boys, and the banter became a bit competitive as they dared each other to run the Ultimate Human Race, given that many of them were admittedly a bit overweight at the time, but when it came to Mark, the whole group were in unanimous consensus that he would never run it. In fact, they were so sure that they decided to bet him that he wouldn’t do it.

“A few of the guys had run the Comrades before, and I commented that anyone can do it if they put their minds to it, so they immediately dared me to run it – and next thing it’s six guys betting me that I’ll never do it, since I weighed 110 kilograms. They even gave me 10-to-1 odds, which meant that if I finished the race, I would get R100,000 from the six of them, so I took the bet!”

Built for Comfort…
That saw Mark start training in January, running just one kilometre a day at first – 500m of running and 500m of walking – which he then gradually increased to 2km, then 3km. He admits that running had never been his thing, but he still managed to enjoy the training… some of the time. “My sporting background is in rugby, cricket and squash. I was never a good 100-metre athlete because of my weight, and I never did long distance running either. In my high school rugby days, I played flank up to standard eight, and then became a prop!” says Mark.

“So this running thing was never going to be easy for me, but it turned out to be a lot of fun doing it with the guys. We were a few heavyweights starting this journey, so we got ourselves a sponsorship from KIA East Rand and started calling ourselves the Run Fatboy Run Club. There were three Comrades novices in the group that founded the club, but in the end the guys who had already run Comrades all joined the club because it was a ‘funner’ group to be part of. We didn’t have enough time to form an official running club, but at the end of the day it was a whole bunch of fat guys having fun. That said, I started at 110kg and now weigh 100kg, so I didn’t lose as much weight as I’d wanted to… probably because for every 42 kays I ran, I drank at least 42 kays worth of beer!”

Tough Love Support
On the day, he managed to run fairly consistently through the day, with his average pace staying between 7:30 and 8:30 per kay. He reached the halfway timing mark at Drummond (42.7km) in 5:34:07, and he eventually came home in 11:40:17, crossing the line looking a very tired man before brightening up for the finish line photographers as he realised he’d done it. “I have to admit, it was hard, a real hack for me,” he says. “It was lekker, a real jol, until the top of Inchanga, but then the heat and loneliness at Harrison flats just killed me. After that I just had to try keep going.”

Of course, it helped that Mark had wife Elaine on the route seconding him, and she says she had to use some strong words to keep him going. “At 60km at Camperdown he said, ‘Lovey, I can’t do this,’ and I said you know what, you started this and you will finish it. Here’s your protein shake and here’s your energiser, now run and I’ll see you at the end,” says Elaine. “As a supporter it’s quite hectic, because you’re looking at the app and trying to follow everyone, while trying to drive and navigate, find parking and see them on the road, but it was so much fun. And when he came in to the finish, I was there, screaming ‘Run, Fatboy, run!’ and crying like a baby. It was very emotional… but I’m still laughing about having to help him put his pants on the day after the race!”

“The whole Comrades journey was quite intense, but I’m so proud of him for actually doing it, as I never thought he would. When he came home and said the boys had bet him R100,000 that he wouldn’t run the Comrades, I laughed at him and said it was a stupid bet, but that if he could pull through, then I’d be there with him 100% of the way. I must be honest, I was hard on him all the way. I toughened him up by not actually comforting him when he was sore – I said ‘Butter up, Sunshine, you’re in this for the long run,’ even towards the end of training, when he was like an emotional wreck. He was worse than a chick! But he committed to it and he did it, and I am very, very proud of him.

Another Year, Another Bet
Unsurprisingly, the very day after Comrades 2017 saw Mark already talking about returning for a second run in 2018. “Would I do it again? No problem! I’m definitely doing the Down Run next year. I want my Back2Back medal, and I’m a very good downhill runner thanks to gravity… I might even do a silver!” he jokes. Even more unsurprisingly, the boys have already started joking about raising the odds in 2018 and making another bet with Mark that he can’t break 10 hours. “Ha, ha, the guys are getting tempted, hey. They seem quite confident about this one, but then again, they were confident when they made the first bet!” At this, Elaine just rolls her eyes and says, “Oh my gosh, to go through all of that again!”

Having been unable to complete the 2016 Comrades when aiming for her 30th (and final) medal, 1991 women’s winner Tilda Tearle returned in 2017 for another go at earning her Triple Green before hanging up her Comrades shoes for good. In her typically honest and irreverent way, here is her story.

In 2016 I failed to finish my 30th Comrades as I had been injured and couldn’t train properly. However, I “kept the faith” that I would do it in 2017, because I had made a promise to myself that after I completed 30, I would take Comrades ‘pension’… but then 2017 did not start well. I tore a calf muscle which reduced me to a swimmer and walker for six weeks. Life is not always a bed of roses!

After six weeks I was able to run again and decided to try compression socks. These helped, as I felt I was being “kept together,” but I had not qualified for Comrades during 2016 and had to get my act together. So I entered the Pietermaritzburg 42km on just a few weeks’ training and one 21km run. Phew, I qualified in 4:56 – hurdle number one had been overcome and my calf remained intact.

All in all my training went well. I decided that this year I would not run so many races, but would do a lot of back-to-back training runs, and I also decided to stay off the route and rather use the Chatsworth 52km as my long run. I stayed away from trail runs, and was extra careful while running in the dark, so no further injuries, and as Comrades got closer, I never lost faith in myself. I know I am now quite slow, but I perform like an old truck and can just keep going once I’m warmed up!

Friendly Support
Meanwhile, Stephan Bruwer (aka Fanie), who I have run with for many years, was not as fit as he should have been and was thinking about withdrawing from Comrades. I suggested he run with me and forced him into a few longer training runs. On Comrades morning we met outside the Hilton, and I gave his daughter some GU’s, Rennies and sparkling water, as she would be seeing us at various spots. Fanie and I then walked up to the start and fought our way into a spot amongst the E batch runners.

It was the normal pandemonium at the start… runners jumping the fence, some unmentionable smells, a bit of pushing and shoving. Eventually the Comrades cock crowed, the gun went, and it took us four minutes to cross the start line. We got going with a few leaps over discarded tops and bottles, and potholes in the road. During the early stages of our run we saw the lady being pushed in the adult pram, the lady doing her thing in a racing wheelchair, the “backwards man,” the blind man, and the barefoot man from Celtic Harriers. When we got to the bottom of Field’s Hill we met Fanie’s family and I collected a GU. This was unfortunately the last time I would see them.

Up Field’s Hill I felt like James Brown and started pulling ahead of Fanie and Robbie Richey (who by now had hunted me down, because he has used me as a pacer since 2013!). We still went through Kloof together, but by the start of Hillcrest I had dropped the boys. I only found out later that Fanie encountered problems at Botha’s and had to withdraw… His pulse rate shot up so high he thought he was having a heart attack!

My plan had been to get through halfway around 5:20, so I could walk a lot in the second half. I was a bit off, but still had lots of time for walking. I encountered lots of runners who wanted to chat and wish me well, and I saw everyone I had planned to see along the route, so my day was turning out happy. Meanwhile, Robbie had caught up again and made sure he stayed near me. At one stage I even held his hand to keep him going.

Digging Deep
During Comrades you have to learn not to panic. I had now lost my GU’s, as Fanie’s daughter was nowhere to be seen, but I knew that at Camperdown I had a GU at the Savages table. That thought kept me going, but it was good to see that table! Camperdown is normally the point where you have to start digging deep, and the race is often won or lost in this area. I was still fine, and lucky for me I was carrying my own Rennies, which I have learnt to take for nausea.

At about three in the afternoon fellow Durban runner Gina Hinchcliffe of Stella was suddenly running next to me. Her husband was struggling and told her to push on, and so we stuck together for the rest of the race. She gave me a helping hand down the hills, and we remained in a positive frame of mind as we walked the whole of small Pollies and then the whole of big Pollies. At the top of Pollies, I said to myself, “Goodbye Pollie, I have kissed your arse goodbye… finally!” We were then confronted with the nasty new finish – 7.2km of rollercoaster, but we kept moving. A friend riding a bike reported that Gina’s hubby had been spotted at Pollies. We hoped he would pull finger and finish in time. The same guy then told me it looked like I needed a good meal.

Gina informed me that she had a friend about 2km from the finish waiting with wine. “Yay,” I said, hoping she would share. When we got to the friend, Gina had her sip of white wine and I had 2 big glugs. Tasted so good! Revived and with a grin, off we went. Meanwhile, Body Guard Clive (my husband) and I had arranged that if he could get close enough, he would hand me a banner which I could run in with. I spotted him, collected my banner and Gina and I ran in carrying it for an 11:43:50 finish. My ‘triplets’ had finally been born, and I was such a happy girl. To add to the pleasure, Bruce Fordyce and Alan Robb handed me my Triple Green.

All done… kind of
After the race we went to see my mother, who lives in Pietermaritzburg. She had bought me a teddy bear wearing a hat, and she said this was because she took her hat off to me. She then told me to put my hand on her Bible and swear that I wouldn’t do Comrades again! I said 30 Comrades is really enough for me… but if I am in one piece, I would like to run in 2020 (as a 60-year-old) and in 2025 when it is the 100th running of Comrades. If I am still able to qualify in 2025, I will be at the start. After 32 Comrades’ starts and 30 finishes all I can say is that Comrades is not for sissies. It is ******* hard, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, but is it absolutely worth it!

Nicky van der Westhuizen’s extraordinary journey to the 2017 Paris Marathon, via the Modern Athlete 9to5 Programme, is an inspiring story that defies medical and biomechanical logic. – BY JEANNIE JORDAAN, 9to5 COACH

I clearly remember the day that Nicky walked into the gym, on 23 May 2015, her birthday. One of her friends had dragged her to my 9to5 Challenge that morning, determined that the best thing to do on one’s birthday is go for a run with a new running group. Nicky confidently introduced herself and took me through a bit of her history with running, and I remember thinking, this girl is going to fly, never mind run. Needless to say, Nicky has proven me right time and time again. She doesn’t do anything in half measures, and doesn’t know the meaning of “stop.” Our running journey together (and our steadfast friendship) began that day, and I can say with both the pride of a coach and of a friend that I am grateful to be able to tell the inspiring story that got her to Paris.

THE JOURNEY STARTS
In November 2015 Nicky decided to compile a list of 40 things she’d like to do in the six months before she turned 40, hence the title of her blog, 40beforeforty. Then at Nicky’s 40th birthday party in May 2016 she received an entry for the 2017 Paris Marathon from her brother, Craig. There was another half marathon on the 40beforeforty list, not a full marathon… but what do you say when you get handed an opportunity to fulfil a dream and run a marathon in one of the most beautiful cities in the world? In Nicky’s words, you say “Wow, wow, wow! I couldn’t think of a more amazing gift.” And so began the training, and the blogging, and her journey to the start line on the Champs Elysees.

However, there is a significant bit of history that is relevant to this story. Nicky was unfortunately born with a club foot: Her left foot was turned inwards and upwards, with her toes virtually touching her shin! Her parents were worried she would not be able to walk, let alone run, and 40 years ago a club foot required fairly extensive surgery, often without much success. That meant her lower left leg was in a cast for much of the first year of her life, with the cast being redone every six weeks to try to straighten the bones as much as possible before three sets of surgeries commenced, the last when she was five years old.

Today Nicky has virtually no mobility in her left ankle and her “little foot,” as her family affectionately calls it, is three sizes smaller and overpronates substantially. This means she has to buy two pairs of shoes every time she needs a new pair, but more importantly, since ankle mobility is essential for the biomechanics of running, running is extremely difficult for her. As she explains, “I didn’t grow up running – in fact, I hated it. I was a tennis player through school and varsity, but after I was unceremoniously thrust into running a half marathon in Knysna in 2007, my road to running started, and thereafter I entered a few races, went to time trials and included a run or three in my week.”

Nicky completed a few more half marathons after that first one in 2007, and then in 2011 she decided to prove to herself that she could complete a marathon, in spite of her foot. She duly ran the Watervalboven 3-in1 Marathon, crossing the finish line in five and half hours, and through tears of joy, said to her watching parents, “I bet when I was born, you didn’t think I’d ever run a marathon!”

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
Fast forward to May 2016 and we set out to get Nicky ready for Paris in April 2017. “It didn’t take too long for reality to hit, and while running the Paris Marathon sounded super glamorous, I soon realised it would involve months and months of training, hard work, commitment… all that stuff that sounds so noble, but is often hard to follow through with,” says Nicky. “I am not a fast runner, and so the six-hour cut-off time for the marathon was always going to be a challenge, but I was determined, and I would try contextualise my long training runs to see how they would translate into my ultimate marathon time. In other words, would I make it? My training under the guidance of Jeannie and Craig showed that I should (hopefully) make it in under six hours, but it was by no means a sure thing.”

Given her challenging biomechanics, Nicky often picks up injuries from long distance running, and that included a calf injury last September. Although not nearly ready to do a run over 21km after her injury, Nicky travelled to Nelspruit in November and surprised me on the start line of the Kaapsehoop Marathon. With a mixture of joy to see my friend and dread at the thought of what Nicky was about to put herself through, I knew there was nothing I could say to change her mind about running that morning. She assured me that she knew she was not fully fit yet, but still wanted to go as far as she could, which turned out to be 34km. My jaw dropped when I heard later what she had done.

Nicky just kept her sights on Paris and mentally pictured crossing the finish line on Avenue Foch. “That image kept me going many a time, especially on those early Saturday and Sunday mornings when I had to get up at 3:45am – or as my friend and training partner Amanda calls it, stupid o’clock – to be in time for a race at 6am in Pretoria or the South of Joburg,” says Nicky. And all too soon, she found herself in Paris with ‘bestie’ Amanda, lining up to register for the race at the Salon du Running Fair on the Friday before race day.

THE BIG DAY
As Sunday 9 April dawned, the girls made their way to the top of the Champs Elysees, and Nicky says she vividly remembers every step once the race started: “We began moving slowly forward en masse, with music playing, adrenaline pumping, and of course, some tears of emotion seeping out. But that was when my smiling started!” She took in the sights and soaked up the atmosphere, just as she had dreamed of doing so many times, and at 29km, when passing the Eiffel Tower, she thought, “Wow, who has that as a marker in their Sunday run?”

“The last 10km were really tough, but I just carried on… still smiling, still plodding, still making sure there was no walking when I could hear the various bands, and eventually, after 41.5km, I was on the Avenue Foch. The crowds were lining the road, banging on the advertising boards and cheering madly, ‘Allez, Allez,’ and I finished with tears of joy in my eyes, trying to take in as much as possible of the experience – which is why there is not one photo of me at the finish where I am looking in front of me! I did it, 42.195km in 5:49… and it was the most beautiful marathon I could ever have dreamt of, the culmination of a year of planning, training, saving, treating injuries, running races at stupid o’clock, crying, laughing… but knowing that Paris is ALWAYS a good idea!”

I am a lazy person by nature. I once did a personality test and it revealed that my motto should be “Why stand when you can sit, and why sit when you can rather lie down?” And yet I became a runner… – BY LISA MICHELLI MACKENZIE

While at a family braai in 1989, we watched 80-year-old Wally Hayward finish the Comrades Marathon. There was hardly a dry eye as he staggered across the finish line in 10:58:03, making the final cut-off time by a mere 1 minute and 57 seconds to become the oldest finisher in the history of the Comrades. My dad, Giuliano Michelli, watched this and announced that if an 80-year-old can finish this race, then he could walk it, too!

Of course, my mother Gail took him up on his challenge and made a bet with him that if he did not manage to complete the run the following year, he would have to pay for her to visit her sister in Canada. So my dad started to run that year and completed his first Comrades in 1990, coming home in 10:56:07. Since then he has run the race 20 times, finishing it 18 times, and fittingly, the late Wally presented him with his permanent Green Number after his tenth finish in 2000. And that’s how running was introduced into our family…

From Zero to Hero
I was never interested in running myself. I thought that I ‘waddled’ and could not run, and I have never been any good at sports, so the thought never once crossed my mind that I would ever want to take up running. I was always in awe of other runners, especially at the finish line of the Comrades, but I thought that it was something that I could never do, and quite frankly, I was not interested to even try.

The years passed, I turned 40 in 2012, and it felt like I was going through a mid-life crises. I was feeling miserable and felt like I had nothing to live for – that’s how bad it was! – so I went to see a psychologist and my doctor put me on anti-depression pills. Then my dad called me up one Sunday morning and announced that he was going to enter me to run the Comrades Marathon the following year, so best I start running!

On the 6th of November, my dad met me at my house and we went for a short run/walk. I remember not being able to run 100 metres without needing to walk… I absolutely hated running for the first few months. I was always out of breath, everything ached, and it was no fun at all. I was told that running is like a drug to the body and that we get all these “feel-good endorphins,” but I was not experiencing any of that. This felt like sheer torture! But I persevered, and after three months I was going to run my first half marathon. I have never been so scared before, but my dad ran with me and was so patient, telling me when to walk, and to drink, and breathe. I finished it and the feeling was out of this world! Now I finally understood about all those endorphins.

The Lure of Comrades
A few months later, I ran my first marathon, so slowly that the timing mat had already been packed away when I got to the end, and the next day I was so stiff, but words cannot describe the sense of achievement that I felt. I was now a runner! That year I did not manage to qualify to run Comrades, as I was still unable to run a marathon under five hours, but in November 2013 I ran the Kaapsehoop Marathon and eventually qualified in 4:36. I was now able to attempt the Comrades in 2014, but training for it is no easy feat: You have to be consistent in your training, and 100% dedicated to achieving this huge goal. It’s also a mental game, and I had to train my brain to believe that finishing it was indeed possible.

In the six months from January 2014 leading up to my first Comrades, I ran six marathons and two ultra-marathons, and felt that I had put in the mileage to be ready. Even though I was still petrified, I ran the Down Run in 11:18, so I decided to do the 2015 Up Run and get my Back-to-Back medal. I finished that one in 11:38, and then decided that I want to get my permanent number, so I ran the 2016 Comrades in 11:24. Unfortunately, I was cut-off at Umlaas Road in this year’s Comrades, having been nauseous for much of the first half due to the heat, but this experience has motivated me to come back next year even better and stronger, and amped to run my best Comrades ever. Because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

In winter it’s important for athletes to eat healthily and keep warm while beating winter weight-gain! Just one bowl of these wholesome soups a day can give you energy and help you stick to your weight. – BY CHRISTINE PETERS, REGISTERED DIETICIAN

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!
(35 minutes 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.

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.
(45 minutes to make, serves 6.)

Ingredients:
• 700g cauliflower, coarsely chopped
• 1 small leek (white part only), sliced
• 1 medium potato, peeled, cut into chunks
• 3½ cups reduced-salt vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ 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.

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
Carrots are high in B-carotene and fibre, which help protect against certain cancers and high cholesterol.
(40 minutes 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
• ½ cup red lentils
• 4 tablespoons toasted almonds, roughly chopped
• fresh coriander, to serve
• 4 pieces pita bread, to serve

Step 1: Add ¼ 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: Purée soup in blender until smooth, but slightly chunky. Divide soup between bowls. Top with almonds and coriander. Serve with pita bread.

Thanks to his expert reporting and incredible ‘hands-on’ coverage of events via radio, social media posts and videos, and through his incredible photography, Jeff Ayliffe has built a huge reputation in sports journalism in South Africa, and one of his favourite events to cover is the Absa Cape Epic. – BY ROXANNE MARTIN

Through the years, Jeff has worked on some of the biggest sporting events South Africa has to offer, and you will be hard-pressed to find an adventure-based or endurance sport that Jeff hasn’t reported on. Amongst his favourite events to work on he includes sailing’s Volvo Ocean Race, mountain biking’s Absa Cape Epic, as well as trail running’s Otter Trail Run, and he says these events have provided some of the best moments of his career. “During the 2015 Otter Trail, I was running alone with Swiss runner Marc Lauenstein, filming his record-breaking run, and it was such an honour to be there alone – to watch and feel this legend at work, that moment is one of my career highlights,” says Jeff.

A natural thrill-seeker – Jeff has made close to 3000 skydives, competed internationally for South Africa in the sport, and also ran a skydiving school – he is often rewarded on assignments with thrilling moments that make him thankful for the opportunity to do what he does. “Covering the Volvo, I have raced with some of the top sailing teams in the Pro-Am, and I get to set up on the mast or on the rigging in 30 knot winds, reporting on the race. It’s a thrill every time,” he says, adding that a visit to the Kyalami Race Track produced a moment that he will never forget. “Sitting in the passenger seat of a BMW touring car with Williams Formula One driver Thierry Boutsen at the wheel, it was raining and we went through a mineshaft corner at 170 kilometres per hour. That was a definite career highlight!”

EPIC LOVE AFFAIR
Jeff has worked on the Absa Cape Epic for seven of the 14 years that it has taken place, and he has gained a deep understanding of the race, allowing him to get to know the riders and bring many great stories to light. “My secret is that I live like the riders, including sleeping in the tented village,” explains Jeff, even though he says that always being on site means he is invariably always working. “I really don’t mind that, though, because I don’t view the Epic as a job, I’m always finding something to do, someone to interview.”

For example, former Springbok rugby player Joel Stransky crashed out of this year’s race, suffering serious facial injuries in the fall, but a few days later was back to support his team mate and the other riders still in the race. Jeff immediately pinned the World Cup winner down for a video interview that went viral on social media.

Thanks to being so close to the riders, Jeff says he thinks they feel comfortable talking to him, even when they’ve had their worst day or terrible luck on the trails, because he has taken the time to develop a relationship with them, even becoming friends with many of the riders. “What’s always interested me about sport, and the coverage of it, is not the technical aspects of the sport, but rather the human element, what makes these riders tick as humans,” says Jeff. “I have seen the best and the worst of many of the riders on the Epic, and that’s what gets me excited as a journalist.”

DEMANDING SCHEDULE
This year’s race saw Jeff mostly working on the live streaming and coverage of the event, alongside anchor commentator Gerald de Kock and former professional rider Neil Gardiner. While Gerald did commentary from the race village and Neil was doing live coverage from the race helicopter, Jeff did radio updates from spectator points and refreshment points along the route, and at the finish, plus video shoots for Absa, video work with Spur-Specialized’s Ariane Luthi, edited daily videos of his own footage for his own Facebook page.

“Each year the Epic is an eight-day blur of amazing athletes, moments, friends, sights, sounds and experiences that leave me equally exhausted and exhilarated, but it’s such a privilege to be a part of this beautiful race,” says Jeff. He also says working under such pressure taught him a valuable lesson this year: “I discovered that it’s always worthwhile double-checking your hashtags when you post an image on social media, because sometimes auto-correct has other words in mind. I posted an image in a rush the one day, and added #lovemyjob, but auto-correct decided that I meant to say #lovemaking. Thank heavens it was on my personal page and not the official Absa Cape Epic page. I was very #embarrassed!”

PASSION AND PERSEVERANCE
What sets Jeff apart from other journalists is his passion for the sports he covers and an attitude that there is no limit to how far he will go to get the best shot, or an interview, and it’s why so many of the biggest races in the country choose to use him as part of their media teams. Those are the same characteristics that first opened doors for him and brought him success in the media world. Jeff grew up in Durban and says he always had a keen interest in radio. “I used to listen to Capital Radio 604, which in the 80’s was the only independent radio station, and their whole style of broadcasting appealed to me.”

He initially tried breaking into the radio industry by doing a brief stint at ‘Main Control’ at SABC Durban, but that didn’t lead to anything concrete. Then his break arrived when he was a member of the SA Skydiving team that was getting ready to depart for Brazil for the World Championships: Capital called to ask if one of the team members would be able to do a daily 45-second voice update on the event, and Jeff jumped at the chance. Those short but sweet radio crossings made him decide that radio was definitely the best career path for him, and to be the best he had to learn from the best, so in 1989 he approached Capital for a job. “There were no openings, but they offered to teach me on weekends for no pay, if I was serious about learning. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands, spending every weekend in studio, and I learnt that being a good broadcaster comes from the heart, from the passion you have for what you are covering. It wasn’t about money or reward.”

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
When a spot eventually opened at the station, Jeff was first choice, because he was already part of the team. “I had done the hard work and proven my passion, so I was in,” says Jeff. That was also when he began working for Dave Mcleod, who became the mentor that would shape his career for many years to come. “He taught me about passion, accuracy, integrity, and every other area of being a solid sports presenter. I’ve held onto those lessons,” explains Jeff. “Possibly the biggest lesson that Dave taught me is to build a sense of integrity and trust with the people you interview, and most importantly, to always honour your word. If they trust you, you are sorted. If you lose their trust, you’re dead in the water – as simple as that.”

Jeff has gone on to work as a professional radio sports presenter for a variety of radio stations throughout South Africa, including Capital Radio 604, Good Hope FM, 94.5 KFM, 567 Cape Talk, Talk Radio 702 and East Coast Radio, and throughout his 28-year career he has continued to implement that lesson from Dave as he has met and interviewed some of the biggest stars in world sport, including the late Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Tana Umaga, Bruce Fordyce, David Beckham, Shane Warne, Steffi Graf, Kelly Slater, Karl Platt, and more. “As the years have gone on, so my relationships with top athletes has grown too, and I have built a relationship based on understanding – to treat them with respect at all times, even if that means losing the interview. They appreciate that,” says Jeff.

And while he has met many of the greats, Jeff says he still relishes meeting his listeners and followers on the street, that the real golden moments of a career in broadcasting have been when a stranger approaches him in a restaurant or shopping centre, introduces themselves and tells him how they listen to him every morning and how they really feel like a friend. “When I saw how much a smile and a kind word touched those people, and how much it meant to them that I took an interest and made an effort to connect, that made me realise how special my job was,” says Jeff.

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
These days Jeff provides freelance digital media services in Cape Town, including radio, photography, video, MC’ing, writing and social media. “I take pride in being able to cover a wide cross-section of areas for events, so a client can use me in various roles if need be. I believe I’ve put in the work to reach a standard in all of these areas that I’m proud of.” When he is not working, you will often find him taking to the skies to paraglide around Cape Town, and when the wind doesn’t allow for flying, he’ll be running along the mountain trails, rock climbing or surfing. In between pursuing this active lifestyle, Jeff says he simply loves the work he does, and the people he gets to work with, and thus he adds that he is already looking forward to covering next year’s Absa Cape Epic!

Young Cape Town-based hand-cyclist Zach Legward wrote himself into the record books when he rode the Momentum Knysna Cycle Tour 50km in early July. We heard about his story just before his incredible ride and wrote this piece for the July edition of the mag. – BY BRENDON LOWSON

The recent fires that ravaged Knysna in the Southern Cape claimed a number of lives and left many homeless, but the whole country applauded as the people of Knysna courageously picked up the pieces and said the show must go on. That started with the announcement that the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival in mid-July will go ahead, including the cycling events on the programme. This means that 10-year-old hand-cyclist Zach Legward will still have the opportunity to take on the 50km road race of the Momentum Knysna Cycle Tour, and if he completes the race, he will become the youngest hand-cyclist in SA, possibly even in Africa, to race that distance.

Biking Dream
Zach was born with a condition called Gastroschisis, where an opening forms in the baby’s abdominal wall and the bowel pushes through to develop outside the baby’s body. He was operated on shortly after birth to remedy this, but post-operative complications saw an infection spread to his lower spine, which left his legs paralysed. As a result, Zach has always been confined to a wheelchair, but like most boys, he always wanted a bicycle, so his dad, Geoff, made him a hand-cycle three years ago.

“Unfortunately, you can’t just walk into a shop and buy one, so we made him his first one out of two steel BMX bikes, very much a sit-up type,” says Geoff. “Two years later, because he had grown so much, we made him a proper race bike. You can get bikes out of the USA or UK, but they cost between R60,000 and R200,000, and each one has to be custom-built for the athlete’s disability. It took us five months of late nights and hard work to finish his bike, using pictures and dimensions downloaded from the Internet, but now he is flying. I think he likes cycling because it gives him freedom. He loves the speed – going downhill we have seen his bike do 50km/h, but I start getting a bit nervous – and he also just loves riding through puddles of water!”

Besides allowing Zach the opportunity to get out and participate in a sport he loves, Geoff says they are seeing some really positive physical changes in Zach. “He seems to be getting feeling in places he has never had before. The medical experts say it’s potentially from the increased cardio-vascular activity, which is forcing blood circulation to his nerves. Nobody really knows, but we are definitely seeing some changes slowly happening.”

Request Granted
Earlier this year Geoff wrote to the Knysna Rotary Committee that organises the cycling events at the festival to ask for permission for Zach to participate in the road race. He wrote that Zach has ridden the Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge three times and won gold in all three events, and he has also ridden the Cape Town Junior Cycle Tour twice and recently did the Gun Run. Most importantly, he explained that Zach can handle the distance and will be looked after during the race, if given permission to ride.

“In training his coach and I ‘box him in’ for his safety, so he is supervised 100% all the time, and our intention is to have a four-man team ride with him in the 50km. We were training 13km with him every second day, which he handled easily, so we increased his distance to 20km, with 30km rides on the weekends, all of which he still handled with ease.”

The Rotary Committee duly gave Zach and his support team not only permission to participate, but free entries. Meanwhile, Geoff has promised to give Zach R10 per kilometre he completes. “I would like to challenge other cyclists to also sponsor Zach R10 per kilometre. These funds will be given to a charity for disabled children, and we also want to use some of the money for the Knysna fire victims as well as the South African Sports Association for the Physically Disabled.”

Justifiably proud of his son, Geoff says that “Zach has a never-say-die attitude and is scared of nothing. He swims, scuba dives, rides a quad bike, flies radio controlled planes, and is a very happy little boy. He never wakes up in a bad mood, and is always smiling. He wants to go to the Olympics one day, and riding Knysna will hopefully be a big step towards that.”

If you are interested in sponsoring Zach’s ride and fundraising efforts, Email [email protected].

Micronutrients are those vitamins and minerals required in very small quantities by our bodies for growth and development, but as athletes they take on an even more important role, which is why supplementation with a multivitamin could help your sports performance – but only if you need extra vitamins and minerals. – BY CHRISTINE PETERS, REGISTERED DIETICIAN

When we exercise, we place certain stresses on our bodies which may lead to the loss of micronutrients in the body. These micronutrients play an important role in energy production, maintenance of bone health and adequate immune function, to mention but a few. They also help with the synthesis and repair of muscle tissue during recovery from exercise and injury. Therefore, a greater intake of micronutrients may be needed in athletes for building, repair and maintenance of lean body mass.

The most important vitamins and minerals include:

•Calcium: Especially important for growth, maintenance and repair of bone tissue, maintenance of blood calcium levels, regulation of muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and normal blood clotting.

•Vitamin D: Important for calcium absorption, regulation of serum calcium and phosphorous levels, and promotion of bone health.

•B Vitamins: Important to ensure adequate energy production and building and repair of muscle tissue.

•Iron: Required for the formation of oxygen-carrying proteins, haemoglobin and myoglobin, and for enzymes involvedin energy production.

•Zinc: Plays a role in growth, building muscle tissue, energy production and immune status.

•Antioxidants – Vitamin C and E, Beta-Carotene and Selenium: Play important roles in protecting the cell membranes from oxidative stress damage.

•Magnesium: Plays a variety of roles in cellular metabolism and regulates membrane stability and neuromuscular, cardiovascular, immune and hormonal functions.

SO WHO NEEDS TO SUPPLEMENT?
Athletes consuming a healthy balanced diet don’t necessarily need to supplement with vitamins and minerals, as their diets will still be adequate to supply these higher micronutrient needs. However, athletes who are at greater risk include those who restrict energy intake or have severe weight-loss practices, those who eliminate specific food groups from their diets, and those who consume unbalanced and low micronutrient diets.

Therefore, supplementing with vitamins and minerals will not improve athletic performance in athletes who eat nutritionally balanced diets, and these athletes do not necessarily need to take a multivitamin to meet higher micronutrient demands placed on the body by athletic activities. And you should also always read patient information leaflets before taking supplements, or consult your doctor or chemist when taking other medication.

Christena Walter is a 57-year-old Irish mother of four with a Swedish husband who landed on our shores in mid-2014. Having lived all over the world and taken up running along the way, it was in South Africa that the running bug really took hold of her! – BY TREVOR HOSKINS

It was while living in Baghdad in 1986 that Christena started running, out of boredom with the repetition of her normal gym routine. She quickly grew to love it, and even though Iraq was then at war with Iran, running became a regular part of her routine. Later that year she was persuaded to run her first marathon, which was four laps of a 10km route with an extra bit added to make up the distance, and she finished it in a little under four hours.

In the years that followed, Christena gave birth to four daughters while the family moved several times around the globe, and she continued running casually in between the pregnancies and moves. It was only when living in Kenya for five years that her running moved to a new, more formal level, when she joined a running club, but even this was ‘ casual running’ by comparison to what she found in South Africa when she moved here in 2014.

UNIQUELY SOUTH AFRICANSoon after moving into their new home in Dainfern in Johannesburg, Christena was encouraged to attend a runners’ meeting at the local clubhouse, which was her first interaction with what she calls a bunch of crazy South African runners! “There was nothing casual about their approach to running, however, in that their distances were longer and more regular than anything I had been used to, but what amazed me most was how friendly and accommodating everyone seemed to be,” says Christena.

This friendliness extended beyond Dainfern into races and Christena says she was simply blown away at the level of organisation of SA events, especially in terms of what is offered at the refreshment stations. “I remember running the Kilimanjaro Marathon one year and only one station, at the 32k mark, offered anything other than water – and that was after a 16km climb to get to that point!” she says. The other aspect of SA races that she immediately took to was the spirit and vibe amongst the runners. “The amazing camaraderie here was certainly not what I had experienced internationally. I had competed in several international big city marathons around the world and none even come close to the vibe experienced here.

”Another highlight of SA for her was the availability of running-related gear here, which she describes as phenomenal, and she also speaks glowingly about our sports medicine options. “The injury care options here are also simply amazing,in that specific treatments are carried out to address specific problems, whereas my experience, including in some First World countries, is generally that medicine is just prescribed to deal with various issues. Put all of these things together and you’ ll see why I strongly believe that South African runners are spoilt for choice in every respect!”

LOVING THE RACES However, probably Christena’ s favourite aspect of SA running is the full race calendar throughout the year, which she says is not the case anywhere else in the world, and she has found herself on the top step of the podium in the women’ s masters 50-59 age category several times over the past few years. Her most recent achievements include winning her category at the Forever Resorts Loskop Ultra-marathon and finishing second master at the MiWay Wally Hayward Marathon. Interestingly, she refuses to put herself under pressure during races by wearing a watch!

Unsurprisingly, the seed of running Comrades was planted very early on in Christena’ s association with the Dainfern crowd, and she says the race has become one of her firm favourites. “Mention the word Comrades internationally, more so if you have a medal, and people are in awe – it just seems to be a bucket list race for so many people all over the world.” Christena clocked a 9:11:44 for a bronze medal in her first Comrades in 2015, then posted 8:29:08 last year to take a Bill Rowan medal.

Sadly, the 2017 Comrades will be her third and last for the time being, because in June she and her husband are moving home yet again, this time to Bangalore in India. She has already made contact with a running club there, who are apparently over the moon that a runner from Comrades country will shortly be joining their ranks, but it is with a heavy heart that this adopted South African will be leaving all this behind. “There is nowhere in the world that has the same passion for running, atmosphere and camaraderie as in South Africa, but I will take with me the most amazing memories that I will cherish forever.”

World-renowned South African golfer Gary Player is a nine-time Major winner, but he is also a 1000-time major winner in the winning-people-over category. He demonstrated that again recently when the six top golfers from Grey College were invited to his Rietfontein farm, outside Colesberg in the Western Cape.

The 81-year-old golfing legend invited the young men to spend a day with him after he was a guest speaker at the Bloemfontein-based school last year. Gary has pledged to speak to millions of children about diabetes, physical exercise, a healthy mind and good nutrition, and when he challenged one of the fittest boys in the school to do push-ups with him on stage, he out-worked the lad… in a three piece suit, nogal! That’ s when the light went on for many of them. “Work hard and be strong!” he told the boys. “And you guys thought I’ d come out here with a Zimmer frame, eh?” Gary chuckled.

But, you may well be asking yourself, what is a story about a golf legend doing in Modern Athlete magazine? Well, Gary is the epitome of a modern athlete, even though he is now in his ninth decade.

LEADING THE WAY
From his earliest days, Gary realised that he needed to cross-train, and to do a lot of it. Small of stature but big of heart, he pushed weights, ran and ate in the most nutritious way possible… all things that most modern athletes take for granted, elements that you have to weave into your daily training routine to become better, faster, stronger. But here’ s the thing, Gary did this in the early 1950’ s, and as a result, most people in (and out) of golf thought he was mad.

Yet, 60 years on and one of South Africa’ s all-time greatest sportsmen is still going strong, as he demonstrated to the young men when he welcomed them at his front door and made each one coffee individually. He then ran them all up “his mountain” to not only show them the awesome view, but also to make them understand that you have to overcome hardship and adversity to get to the top.

“I was seven when I had to travel right across town in Johannesburg to go to school. My mother had just passed away and I was all alone. When I got home at night I had to cook for myself, as my dad was a miner and was workinghundreds of metres underground,” Gary told them. “More than 70 years on, I am glad for that. It made me who and what I am today. Never let adversity break you, let it make you stronger.”

HEALTHY START
In his kitchen in the beautiful farmhouse in the heartland of the Karoo, Gary personally made the group a berry smoothy and then a green juice that he drinks every day, which includes water cress that he grows himself. His brand new Nutribullet had already clocked some interesting ‘ kilometres’ and certainly works overtime in the Player kitchen.

After this hearty breakfast, which was washed down with a healthy muffin and fresh juice, the lads were bundled into the game-viewing vehicle and taken to the other side of the hill, where they all hit golf shots for the maestro and he gave each of them an impromptu golfing lesson. His supple powerful frame still takes the club back and follows through with that swoosh that only great golfers create, and the ball leaves the club with a distinct click that just a few on the planet achieve.

Imagine that, 16 years old and you get a lesson from one of the world’ s best, while all the time he is instilling his incredible work ethic into your psyche! Overall, though, the lesson here is that you are never too old to be a modern athlete… and Gary Player is the epitome of that!