Category: Features

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!

On the afternoon of 3 May 2017, shortly after receiving news that Karen Brough had won the Modern Athlete Diacore Gabarone Marathon competition, three bubbly running buddies met up for a celebratory ice-cream and to make some plans for our (very) last-minute road-trip. Botswana will never be the same, and neither will Sandra Brownrigg, Karen and I. – BY WENDY SELLER

We are all fairly new at this running thing, having only joined the Easy Equities Born 2 Run club at the end of 2016. So we couldn’t believe that within a matter of minutes, our weekend plans had changed significantly and that we would be running our very first international race four days later. The next 24 hours were frantically busy as we ran around and arranged everything from transport to passports, babysitters and playlists for the four-and-a-half-hour drive to Gaborone.

The drive was a laugh-a-minute adventure, as three city girls took to the road and made our way through quaint dorpies, popped in at the local Prokureur’s Kantoor for a toilet stop, and man-handled the 4×4 on the longest stretch of rugged dirt-road any of us had ever seen.

Four hours flew past in what felt like forty minutes. On the other hand, getting through the border was a testing trundle. Thankfully it was still light when we drove over the line and found ourselves in rush-hour Gaborone traffic. The locals were friendly and happily helped us find our way to the Miami-esque Grand Palm Peermont Hotel. By now we were a little frazzled, and after checking in, we devoured dinner and called it a night.

Excitement Overload
Early on Saturday morning we laced up our running shoes and went for a little exploratory trot to acquaint ourselves with the streets of Gaborone. It was surreal to see the race organisers out before sunrise, putting finishing touches on everything, including painting the picket fence in anticipation of Botswana’a running event of the year.

The three of us were like kids the night before Christmas at race number collection, wide eyed and hyped up for the experience of a lifetime, and proudly paraded our lumo-orange race packs for all to see. None of us slept very well that night – typically we never do, as pre-race excitement had taken hold – but the preparation was done, our numbers pinned to club vests and alarms were set for an early start.

Race morning came and we once again realised how lucky we were to be standing at the start line of the Diacore Gaborone Half Marathon, surrounded by a few hundred runners from every corner of the globe. The race energy was frenetic just prior to the gun going off, but as soon as the race began, we took to the streets with only one objective: To enjoy every minute, to savour the experience, and to do what we love most, run!

Because we had no preconceived ideas about the route, we didn’t bog ourselves down with any pre-race strategies or discussions about elevation, pace and route profile maps, we simply went out there to have tons of fun and make it home with a shiny new medal to show everyone.

Essential Selfies!
After a few kilometres, Mother Nature pulled out all the stops and showed off with the most insane sunrise. The blazing ball of fire in the sky literally rendered us speechless, and we stopped on the fly-over for a couple of selfies. We were tourists, after all! Running in Gaborone can only be described as “city meets bushveld,” with tarred roads surrounded by the remnants of excavated bush, and livestock roaming around – chickens, cows and even donkeys crossing the roads reminded us of the honesty of Africa, and it was brutally beautiful.

The vibe was incredible, with lots of locals cheering and showing appreciation for us foreigners running in their country, and the water points were frequent and well managed in the 36-degree heat. The three of us were on top of the world – a flattish, slightly undulating African world, but we were on top of it anyway. The half marathon route allowed for a very consistent race, and despite stopping to take snapshots along the way, we found ourselves running through the finish line in very respectable times, with the most awesome memories. The cherry on top was receiving the news that Karen had won a prize for finishing fourth in the over-40 age category!

Although the Diacore Gaborone Half Marathon is not one of the toughest races, this was by far the most thrilling race for us. We felt like champions as we hugged at the finish line and then danced our way to medal collection. What a feeling finishing the race with the widest of smiles and happiest of hearts – three friends and sisters in running. And with Botswana having endeared itself to us, we will happily return to run the full marathon in 2018.

Cape Town-based endurance junkie Miguel Netto has completed two Comrades Marathons and will be aiming for a third this year, but he has never actually flown into Durban for the race. That’s because he has always ridden there on his bike, and is set to make history by doing so once again this year. – By Sean Falconer

When 1931 Comrades Marathon winner Phil Masterton-Smith climbed on his bike in 1933 to ride from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg to go run the Comrades, because he could not afford the train fare, he could not have foreseen that nearly 80 years later his incredible feat would become the inspiration for an annual ride that not only commemorates his journey, but also raises a huge amount of money for charity. And he definitely would not have predicted that somebody would repeat his gruelling trip three times… but that is what 31-year-old marketing executive Miguel Netto is set to do this year.

Known as Unogwaja – Zulu for a hare – Phil took 10 days to cover the 1600-plus kilometres to Maritzburg, arriving the day before the Comrades, which he then ran and finished a remarkable 10th. That story inspired Red Sock founder John McInroy and friends to take on the first Unogwaja Challenge in 2011, to raise money for the Comrades charities, and every year since then they have repeated the trip, with athletes from all over the world applying to be part of the team and riding to raise funds for the Unogwaja Light Fund, which channels money to various causes around the country. A few athletes have completed the trip twice, but this year Miguel will become the first to do a third Unogwaja!

ENDURANCE JUNKIE

Miguel’s sporting background includes playing cricket in the UK, but his focus has always been on endurance sports, notably in ultra-distance triathlons as well as ultra running – he did his fifth full Ironman this year, rode the Absa Cape Epic in 2016, and prior to his first Comrades in 2015 he had completed the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon as well. In that first Comrades, he posted a time of 11:31:53, following the gruelling 10-day ride from Cape Town, and the following year he improved his time to 9:39:46, remarkable given that he had once again done the long ride to get there. When asked why he would want to put himself through this gruelling trip yet again, Miguel simply shrugs his shoulders and smiles…

“There are a few personal reasons, and a few practical reasons. On the personal side it’s the best way to experience the mind-blowing beauty of this country we live in, and it’s a channel for me to make the biggest difference in the field of what I love doing,” says Miguel. “Also, what I’ve gone through with Unogwaja for the past two years has been simply life-changing, so going back and adding a personal tribute by becoming the first to do it three times also adds a little bit to it. But it’s more about signing off on what is probably going to be my last Unogwaja – at least for now – and trying to make sure that my chapter closes with a bang, both charitable and personal.”

From a practical point of view, Miguel explains that the Unogwaja team likes to take some ‘experience’ out on the road each year, hence asking some riders to return for a second year. “At the farewell breakfast after my first Unogwaja in 2015, I was asked to return in 2016. I had a week to consider it, but I’d already decided on the flight back that I wanted the whole experience again… it was a no-brainer! It is a long and daunting journey, so my role in 2016 was as a second to Stoff, John’s dad and the leader of the trip, and if someone had a puncture or needed help, I was the guy to help them. This year may be Stoff’s last Unogwaja, and we’ve walked a special journey together, so it’ll be special to finish off with him. Also, the team this year is perhaps stronger in running and not as strong a cycling team, so there is an element of being able to help them out on the road again.”

Mainly, however, Miguel admits that he is driven by the goal to become the first South African to do three consecutive Unogwaja rides to Durban and he also has some unfinished business with the Comrades route. “My first Comrades was not great – I only just got to the finish – but last year I finished in just over nine hours, so this year, if I could do a sub-nine, that would finish off the personal goal. But the first priority on any Unogwaja is to get every single team member to Durban, and then get them to the finish line of Comrades. If you have to go back to fetch someone on race day, than that’s just what you need to do. Whatever happens on the day, if I can finish, that will be great, and I can go out with a bang!”

INSPIRED BY HISTORY

Miguel’s path to the Unogwaja Challenge began when he met John through the weekly Red Sock Runs. He saw the Red Sockers out running one Friday morning and by chance happened to meet John a few days later, where they spoke about Unogwaja. “The story captivated me right from the beginning. Apart from the history, it struck a huge nerve with me, given my personal endurance background of pushing the body to its limits, plus it had the charitable and empowering point of view, of doing something for this country. At the time I didn’t actually think it was possible to cycle to Durban and run the Comrades, but now I’m about to do it for the third time!”

Unsurprisingly, Miguel says his first Unogwaja was quite an eye-opener, given that he was going into unknown territory that he had not even experienced in his Ironman or Cape Epic events. “It’s such an interesting thing that goes on in your head. The cycle is so daunting, but with nine strangers you’ve just met, you get on the road and you make it through day one… Everything is sore, but somehow you get through day two, and everything is still sore, and then your body just adapts, and it becomes a rhythm. Then you arrive in Durban to take on the Comrades – and everything is still sore – but the great thing is that there is no expectation on you. Having cycled there, no-one is looking at you to do a great time, your goal is simply to get to the finish line.”

“In my first Comrades, the team got me through to halfway and then we just did what we could to get the rest of the team home. It felt like my teammates were kilometres ahead or behind, but the support group told us afterwards that we were actually just a few minutes away from each other most of the day. The whole day we were passing each other and helping each other, and it was the most special way to run my first Comrades.”

LOOKING AHEAD

If all goes smoothly this year and Miguel ticks off his third Unogwaja, he says he already has plans for the next goal on his bucket list, and says his wife, Rosalind, knows all about his plans. They met through mutual friends while both studying at Stellenbosch University, but went their separate ways until meeting again by chance some years later on a boat cruise in Hermanus. They’ve been married now for nearly two years, and Miguel says she is the best race second he could ever ask for. “Shame, she has to put up with my bucket list of endurance events, but thankfully I’m ticking things off quite quickly.”

“After Unogwaja, I want to go back to triathlons, because I’ve had an overwhelming desire for a couple of years now to go to Hawaii for the Ironman World Champs. I fell just short this year, but my dream is to qualify for Kona, even if it takes a few years. I might also try riding the Epic again.” And his fund-raising efforts for charity will also continue, even if he is no longer riding and running for the Unogwaja Light Fund. “I started my own charity a few years ago called Miles for Miracle Kids, when I did my first Ironman, so I’d like to get something like that going again, but I also want to keep the balance between giving back, and personal achievements and having fun.”

“That’s why I have so much respect for John and his Red Sock and Unogwaja initiatives. Anyone can start a charity to raise money for something, but to make sure it has a living legacy and to make it about more than just charity – about using what we do to empower the nation – and to bring a story to life and make it grow all over the world, that is why I’ve hung around so long. Unogwaja is not just a South African thing, it is made up of six or seven different nationalities at any given time on the road, and it just shows that people believe in what we are doing. That’s really special.”

To learn more about the Unogwaja Challenge and to support Miguel and his fellow rider-runners, go to http://unogwaja.com

Can you imagine running some 400km non-stop over five days, on some of the gnarliest trails, fighting extreme fatigue and muscle soreness much of the way? Well, that’s what it takes to run the Munga Trail Run, and we caught up with the winner of the inaugural race, Bennie Roux, to find out more about the experience. – By Brendon Lowson

From the 19th to the 24th of April, many trail running fans across South Africa were glued to their computers and cell phones, tracking runners and following the updates posted on social media as a tiny group of 23 ‘guinea pigs’ took on the inaugural running of the new Munga Trail Run. This 400km self-supported, single-stage race from Belfast to the rim of the Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga was the brainchild of Alex Harris and Erik Vermeulen, and it took them 12 months to put the whole thing together, plotting a route that would involve only about 20km of tar, with some 200km of single-track through virgin grassland and forests, and the rest made up of forestry tracks and gravel roads.

And then they gave runners a 120-hour cut-off, which meant that runners needed to cover on average 80km a day for five days in a row! Think about it… that’s pretty much running five Comrades Marathons on five consecutive days. No wonder Alex and Erik dubbed their new event the “Toughest Race on Earth!” But tough is a word that gets South African trail runners going, and none more so than Bennie Roux.

Running Latecomer

Growing up in the Free State, the 39-year-old father of three from Pretoria says that while he played rugby, soccer and cricket at school, he was never really keen on any of these sports. Instead, he found himself drawn to mountain biking and swimming, preferring the individual endurance sports, but running was not his thing as yet. That changed when his brother ran the Comrades Marathon. “I only started running to prove to my older brother that I was a better Comrades runner,” he jokes. He completed his first Comrades in 2000, finishing in a time of 10 hours 21 minutes, and the running bug had bitten.

Last year he ran his 10th Comrades, posting his best time of 6:53:55 on the Down course to go with his 7:05:38 PB on the Up course of the previous year. However, as impressive as his road running credentials are, it is as a trail runner that Bennie has gained the most attention. As he says, “I became addicted to trail running, and as my running improved, I decided I wanted to become famous for winning races, but for a while my most famous trail running moment was getting stuck on a mountain ledge during a race, waiting for four hours to be rescued, and making the front page of all the major newspapers!”

That was in the 2013 Brauhaus 45km Trail Run near Rustenburg, which Bennie was leading at the time when he and the second-placed runner took a wrong turn. Having lost the trail, they attempted to climb down a kloof by jumping from ledge to ledge, and both got stuck, needing to be rescued later by the Mountain Club of SA. While it was a scary experience for him, due to having a “healthy respect for heights,” Bennie did not let it stop him from returning to the trails, but it does mean that the first piece of advice he gives to beginner trail runners is always “Never jump when lost on a mountain!”

Winning Ways

Since then Bennie has become used to the top step of the podium – he won the 2014 Namaqua 120km four-day trail race, the 2014 and 2015 Wolkberg 60km two-day trail race, and the 2016 Addo 168km trail race, amongst others – but the Munga was on another level completely. When the race started, the field of 23 initially stuck together, since nobody seemed quite sure how best to approach the daunting task ahead, but by the 25km mark, Bennie had decided that it was time to go for it. By the time he reached race village three at 250km, he had built a commanding lead of nearly six hours, while behind him the battle for second was now between two women, Nicky Booyens and Tatum Prins.

But while Bennie seemed to be cruising, he did have a few problems along the way. “Being unfamiliar with races this long, I completely forgot to charge my electronics. I ended up in a forest one night, when there was almost no moon, and the unmarked trail was extremely difficult to pick out. Suddenly, I realised my GPS was almost flat and I was only carrying one spare battery! I got a huge fright, because if I’d lost power then I would never have found the trail again.”

Another night he lost all sense of direction in tall grass at the bottom of a valley. “The grass was so thick, and it was very disorientating. Eventually I came out the other side and saw the trail markers, and I was so pleased with myself, until about 300 metres later when I looked at my GPS and realised I was running back along my old path, in the wrong direction! My only choice was to turn around and go through it all again.”

Navigationally Challenged

While those incidents were mildly amusing, they allowed Nicky to close the gap and she ran with Bennie for quite some way of the race. Bennie eventually pulled clear again, but then made a serious navigation error just 24km from the finish, which allowed Nicky to take the lead. “It couldn’t have happened at a more critical time,” he says. “At first, I just thought my GPS was being funny and would auto-correct, but it didn’t, and I ended up having to run hard for an extra 14km to make up for that mistake.” In the end, he only just snuck back into the lead, coming home first in 101 hours and 25 minutes, with Nicky finishing just two minutes later!

Looking back on his epic run, Bennie can joke about the lessons he learnt along the way. “Realising that I couldn’t fully plan my run, I decided to just take it as it comes and adapt. For example, I slept when I needed to, and when I was feeling good, I just kept moving. Still, I’m surprised how well my race went – at no stage did I feel any pressure on myself, except for that last section just before finishing – but next time I will definitely pack more batteries and a good powerbank or two… because if it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen!”