Category: Features

Norman and Pedri are accustomed to the immense
challenge and unpredictability of Comrades, and both are motivated to encourage
others to give back. Norman has run Comrades twice while Pedri is a more
experienced runner with 11 Comrades finishes under his belt, including an
impressive best of 6:53. “It’s simple for us,” says Pedri, “running to give
back is an opportunity for us to do what we love. We combine our love of Jesus
and our love of running!”

THE MISSION

For Pedri and Norman, the Sudan4Jesus (S4J) initiative
strives to implement a ‘buddy system’ every year where Comrades Marathon
runners who are members will nominate a ‘buddy’ (athlete or not) to help them
with their journey. “A runner has a buddy who inspires and helps throughout the
journey,” explains Norman. “To run the Comrades, one commits and has to juggle
work, family, training and fundraising, so it always helps to have someone with
you.”

From a modest but commendable beginning in 2010 of raising
R35 000 between the two runners, the campaign soon became more popular, with 20
members signing up in 2011 and raising around R115 000. “In 2012, we raised another
R105 000, and the growth has been so amazing!” says Pedri.

Given the campaign’s rapid growth, Pedri and Norman now
encourage an average of R5 000 raised per athlete with a target of signing up 100
athletes for Comrades 2013 and beyond. Near the end of 2012, they were well on
their way, with 85 runners from 20 different running clubs having committed! Included
in this 2013 Up Run S4J team is seasoned Comrades runner Louis Massyn, who has
run 40 consecutive Comrades, as well as the 2012 Washie 100-miler winner Johan
Van Der Merwe.

FOLLOWING THE FUNDS

For Pedri and Norman, the S4J campaign is not just
about raising funds, they are hands-on when it comes to bringing the gospel to
communities who haven’t heard it before, supplying ministry tools, and participating
in outreach projects like painting schools in the area. Apart from their
personal religious duty, S4J is also a humanitarian project. “It’s amazing to
see the funding available to see our strategy work,” say Norman. “We can speak
out on behalf of those who cannot, because the reality is that the country is
still full of conflict and the government’s reign is violent.”

The duo believe that some runners have the natural DNA
to want to give back and make a greater impact for change. “It’s about Comrades
and giving back,” Pedri explains, “and at the finish of Comrades 2013, we’ll
have a community at our stand and we’ll all celebrate!”

For more information about S4J and how to get
involved, visit www.sudan4jesus.com and www.sudanpartners.org, or call Pedri on
012 460 5153.

I am 33, married, with two young sons and am also
hard-of-hearing. Without my hearing aids on, I am essentially deaf. However, I
am fortunate to have good quality hearing aids, and they enable me to have
access to the hearing world. You see, I had a complicated birth, where I had to
be resuscitated. I had no muscle tone, and was put on life support. I
eventually recovered my muscle tone, but lost most of my hearing due to oxygen
deprivation. The doctors told my parents they must accept I was retarded and
would need special schooling, and advised them to place me in a home as they
“could always have other children.” Thankfully, my parents did not listen to
these doctors!

I was mainstream schooled. I experienced several communication
challenges throughout my schooling and subsequent university career, but
ultimately, largely through reading the texts on my own, I graduated with a BA,
and later MA (Religious Studies) from UCT, and a PgDip in Journalism (Rhodes). I
have been working as a Researcher with DeafNET Centre of Knowledge in Worcester
for the past five years.

I competed in athletics and cross-country at school in
Grahamstown, being awarded my colours for cross-country in my Matric year. At
UCT, I started to train more efficiently and ran at the SASSU Provincial and
National Champs. I also competed in a few marathons, completed both the Two
Oceans and Comrades twice, and I also completed the Cape Town 100km at the age
of 20 in 1999 and ran the False Bay 50km twice (best of 3:40).

DETERMINATION

In April 2007, I was hospitalised for a month with a
movement disorder that rendered me unable to move most of my body. At the time,
I was diagnosed with Atypical Parkinsonism. It took me several months to learn
how to walk again. However, I was determined to run again, and secured a good
coach at the end of the year, who guided me towards being selected for the
first World Deaf Athletics Champs in Turkey, 2008, where I competed in the marathon
for Britain (I have dual citizenship, South African and British). I qualified
for the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei, and again competed in the marathon, but two
months later I relapsed with the movement disorder once again, and it took two
months to recover.

In 2010, I represented Boland Masters at the 2010 SA
Masters Athletics Champs, winning the 10 000m in the 30-34 age-group. Then last
October, I chose to join in running 130km over five days to help raise funds
for the National Institute for the Deaf, and I managed to raise R25 000, but a
week later I relapsed again. The specialists advised then
I would never run again, but my mind told me otherwise.

BORN TO RUN

After my December relapse, I walked with a stick for
almost six months, and had extreme muscle weakness. It was a long road back, but
I have now mostly recovered, and while my times are not nearly as fast as I
used to do, I just LOVE my running. I am so grateful to do what I can do. Being
out there is the reward in and of itself. When you have been in a wheelchair, after
previously having completed several marathons and ultras, and knowing your
self-identity is a runner, and then having to learn to walk again with the aid
of a stick over several months, you start to appreciate life and running with a
deep realisation of what it truly means to be a runner.

It’s not about the records, the provincial and
national selections, the medals even. It’s about being out there, doing it
because you love it. It’s how you breathe. It’s what you do. It IS you. I am a
runner because it is who I am. It is not a part of me. It is me. All of me. And
it always will be.

By the way, I
am currently training for the 2013 Buffs Marathon and the 2013 Two Oceans ultra-marathon.

With
more and more trail races being added to the calendar, and more runners hitting
the trails, there is a school of thought that South Africa needs a national
trail running body so that the sport can be run efficiently and safely, and the
athletes can benefit from a formalised structure. However, one of the things
that makes trail running so enjoyable is the freedom it offers – no club
colours, no licence numbers, and none of the rules and regulations of road
running – and that is something many trail runners and event organisers want to
retain.

Athletics
South Africa President James Evans has gone on record to say that ASA does not
want to impose strict rules and regulations on trail running, but does want a
national trail running body established and affiliated to ASA somehow, so that our
world class trail runners can be included in international competition, since
these competition structures only deal with national athletic federations.
Therefore, ASA recently convened a sub-committee to look into all aspects of
this formalisation process, and asked well-known Western Cape race commentator
and avid trail runner Altus Schreuder to chair the committee.

“ASA
is largely hands off – the trail running community can decide what we want, and
my job is to drive the process, not the outcome” says Altus. “I have tried to
contact as many people as possible in all the provinces to include them in the discussion,
including every trail race organiser I could find, and most agree that it is
unavoidable that there must be a national structure. I’m also finding that all
the athletes are positive about structures being put in place, because it will
give them more opportunities and will see them looked after better.”

THREE-PRONG APPROACH

Altus
explains that the committee is currently working on three main areas of the
sport:

1. National structure – “It’s the most contentious aspect and also the one that differs the
most from region to region. The Western Cape has over 40% of all SA trail
races and most are well established, so the organisers and runners are
generally satisfied and therefore more concerned that a national body will come
in and change things. The other regions tend to want more structure and support
at this stage. Overall,
the
trail community is anti-clubs, licences, etc, and the whole concept of freedom
is very important to them. From an ASA point of view, I can go on record to say
that clubs and licences will not be an issue. ASA is OK with that.”

2. Safety and Environment – “These proposals will cover the non-negotiable aspects of safety of
runners and protection of the environment, but without adding more ‘red tape’ that will
interfere with the individuality of runners and events, or the entrepreneurial
spirit of organisers. Most experienced organisers are doing this already and
will not be impacted by this.”

3. Fixtures list, national champs and teams – “This is by far the most urgent, since we
need to be up and running in 2013 in order to send athletes to the various
World Champs events. We have just sent out various proposed policy
documents on how we are going to select teams using champs events and a points
systems, and how to select events for SA Champs, using criteria like distance,
profile, and time of year, since our champs must be just the right time before
a world champs event in order for our athletes to prepare properly. We have
also sent out a bidding document for organisers to apply to host champs
events.”

INAUGURAL CHAMPS

In the meantime, the Trail Committee
has already selected the Addo Elephant Trail Run 76km on 2 March in the Eastern
Cape as the first South African Ultra Trail Championships, where a team of
three men and three women will be selected for the IAU World Trail Champs
(50-80km) in Wales. “With
the World Champs in July, we need a national championships roughly in March,
and the Addo is the only event that fits the bill in terms of timing, distance
and profile,” says Altus. After that, further SA Champs events will be
selected from bidding events for the long distance (35-45km) and mountain
running (8-10km for women; 10-13km
for men) categories.

Added
to that, a points system will also come into play where all athletes in all
trail events will score points according to a detailed system that takes into
account distance, terrain, gradient, etc, and their best three performances
over a 12-month period will also count towards a wild card selection for
national teams, in case they cannot attend an SA Champs event, or have a bad
run at these champs.

To
find out more about the proposed future of trail running, mail Altus on
[email protected].

The
gloves are coming off. That is the best way to describe the ongoing debate in
nutritional circles thanks to Tim Noakes’ highly contentious statements over the
past year about what we should or should not be eating. He has been labelled a
crackpot, accused of unscientific methodology, and even referred to as the
“Julius Malema of medicine – a man with a hoard of followers and considerable media sway, who is capable
of producing charismatic but probably irresponsible solutions to very complex
problems.” In return, Tim has referred to some of the doctors who are opposing
him as ‘pill-pushers,’ and even said the Health Profession’s Council of SA
(HPCSA) does not understand the basis of science.

But this doesn’t help the
layman, who is none the wiser after the war of words. Must we remove all
carbohydrate from our diets, as Tim originally advocated, or do we just remove
specific types, as he now suggests, or do we ignore him and stick with the
‘party line’ being advocated by those who oppose him? It seems nobody can
answer that question now, because the jury is still out. That is why most
doctors, nutritionists, specialists and even the Sport Science Institute of South
Africa and University of Cape Town (Tim’s employers) have come out with
statements that tell people to continue eating balanced diets, not go ‘gung-ho’
on the low-carb/high-fat diet that Tim is advocating. In essence, the two sides
are not yet able to prove absolutely that they are right, so most are taking
the middle road.

Tim’s Conspiracy Theory

In 1977 the US Senate
adopted the McGovern Report on nutritional guidelines for Americans, based on a
low-fat, high-carb diet, ostensibly to promote health, but Tim believes it was
just a tool by the then US government to strengthen the country’s corn-based
agricultural sector. “Since then, people have reduced their consumption of fat
to reduce cholesterol, but obesity has risen. Before that, humans were generally
lean and did not need to be told what not to eat.” Furthermore, Tim believes
that there is a misconception that people are getting fatter because they are
eating more and exercising less, but rather it’s because they are they eating
more carbohydrate, which to cut a very long scientific story short, is being
converted into body fat, leading to obesity and serious illnesses, including
various cancers. “About 70% of chronic diseases are nutrition-based, and if we
continue as we are now, we are going to need more hospitals and doctors,” says
Tim.

On the other hand, opposing
doctors and nutritionist say the initial health benefits Tim has apparently
derived from his about-face on eating carbs – loss of excess weight, several
ailments cured, feeling energised, running better than ever – can be explained,
and they warn of bigger problems down the line: For starters, type one
diabetics may develop renal failure or go into a hypoglycaemic coma, and
patients with elevated triglycerides risk contracting potentially fatal
pancreatitis.

The
bottom line is that both sides agree that a low-carb, high-fat diet can cause rapid weight-loss,
but the regimen is not without acute dangers, and the long-term benefits of the
diet remain unclear. So while Tim has swung from high carbs to no carbs, the widely-accepted
consensus remains that something in between is best: Avoid transfats, sugars
and refined carbohydrates, eat a calorie-restricted, balanced diet with whole
grains, protein and healthy fats, exercise in moderation, and drink water when
you’re thirsty.

On a global
scale, modern lifestyles generally reduce opportunities to lace up and hit the
road. Not only do we have less time for exercise these days, but there also
seem to be less outdoor leisure facilities where one can train safely and
effectively, and we often blame government for the lack of choice out there.
The Fittest City study is looking to change that, by
not only putting a spotlight on a city’s overall fitness and activity levels,
but also helping to facilitate an improvement in urban planning that can
contribute to a city getting fitter. “We would like the index to act as a
motivation to encourage people to find opportunities to move more or sit less,
so that they can get moving for their health,” says Dr Tracy Kolbe-Alexander, a
biokineticist who co-conceptualised the study.

THE DATA SPEAKS

Data for
the study was collected from reliable, publicly available resources and
research, and divided into: personal health, physical activity, transport and
sports facilities. And this is how our cities ranked:

Personal Health Indicators

(Based on BMI, high blood pressure
and high cholesterol)

1.
eThekwini (Durban)

2. City of Johannesburg

3. Nelson Mandela
Bay (PE)

4.
Ekhurleni (East Rand)

5. Tshwane
(Pretoria)

6. City of Cape Town

Self-reported physical activity

(Percentage of people who reported
that they participate in at least moderate amounts of physical activity)

1. Nelson Mandela
Bay

2. Cape Town

3. Johannesburg

4. Tshwane

5. Ekhurleni

6. eThekwini

Transport

(Representation of the use of
non-motorised or public transport)

1. Cape Town

2. eThekwini

3. Tshwane

4. Nelson Mandela
Bay

5. Johannesburg

6. Ekhurleni

Physical activity-related facilities

(Number of facilities per 100 000
people)

1. Cape Town

2. Tshwane

3. Nelson Mandela
Bay

4. Johannesburg

5. eThekwini

6. Ekhurleni

CAPE TOWN RULES!

After
putting all the data together, the study concluded that Cape Town trumps most other cities with its
public transport and facilities. For example, the Mother
City’s cycle path between Paarden Island and Milnerton is one way that
residents are looking to get fit while commuting. Meanwhile, residents in the
Bay enjoy the country’s top reported physical activity, and thus, Cape Town came out on top of the overall rankings,
followed by Nelson
Mandel Bay:

1. Cape Town

2. Nelson Mandela
Bay

3. Tshwane

4. Ethekwini

5. Johannesburg

6. Ekurhuleni

While Durban has a lot to work
on, there are walkers, runners and cyclists that make daily use of the
promenade and water enthusiasts often enjoy snorkelling and windsurfing at
Vetch’s Pier. This year’s Discovery East Coast Radio Big Walk, with a record field
of 33 500 entrants, is also a great event that brings the residents out en
masse. While Jozi rates quite low overall, the use of the Gautrain and the Rea
Vaya Bus system helps reduce the city’s carbon footprint, and outdoor gyms in
public parks have been erected in Soweto,
Diepsloot and Eldorado
Park, but there is loads
more work to be done! On the other hand, Gauteng
does boast many great races each week, so there is an opportunity for more people
to get active.

THE WAY FORWARD

For a city
to improve its ‘fit and healthy’ status, it has to create an environment that
encourages movement. There need to be policies in education, transportation,
parks and recreation, media and business that boost how much we move. For
example, in Bogota, Colombia, the city has developed a
series of new green spaces, parks and playing fields. By ‘greening’ the city,
the city has become safer, which encourages more citizens to cycle and run in
the city. Here in SA, our cities could do the following to achieve the same goals:

?        
Workplace
wonders: On-site exercise facilities at work boosts productivity!

?        
Beat
the traffic: Better bus services will encourage citizens to be less dependent
on their cars.

?        
Starts
at school: Playgrounds and sports fields need to be improved.

?        
Keep
it clean, keep it safe: A clean and safe neighbourhood encourages more running
and cycling.

?        
Creating
the track: Cycle lanes on busy streets or designated times in slow lanes for
cyclists promote bicycle use.

DARE TO TRI

In the previous two years, the programme’s main goal
was to complete Ironman 70.3, but this year we are also including the 5150 events
at Bela Bela and Germiston. Next year we plan to extend the Academy training to
include participation at the 10^th anniversary of Ironman in Port
Elizabeth in April.

But back to this year… The response has been beyond
our wildest expectations, which once again clearly shows that South African
athletes love a new challenge! Training started in early June and already the coached
weekend sessions have seen 15 to 30 eager newbie triathletes join coach Derick
Marcisz for a Saturday morning run, a Saturday afternoon swim and/or a Sunday
morning bike ride.

It is by means too late to join the Academy. For more
information on how to sign up, log onto the Modern
Athlete website at www.modernathlete.co.za and follow the Dare to Tri
prompts.

TAKE THE
PLUNGE

As most triathletes battle
with the swimming part of triathlons, Georgie Thomas, owner and operator of
Total Immersion South Africa, is on board with Dare to Tri and will be hosting
not-to-be missed workshops with advice on swimming training. Here is Georgie’s advice
for this month:

Swim smarter, not harder: We’ve all heard this saying
before, but nothing could be more true, especially for triathletes. If you are
new to triathlon or ramping up your training, you may be feeling tired and a
little overwhelmed, and juggling three disciplines at once will certainly add
to your stress. One of the biggest mistakes at this stage will be to try to
push harder and fit in more, just to make the weekly mileage target  of your programme. This may benefit your run
and bike, but it certainly won’t have much effect on your swimming, and could
just make you better at struggling. So, here are a few tips for when the going
gets tough:

?        
Sometimes it’s more beneficial to skip an early
morning session if you haven’t had a good sleep. Rather squeeze in a 30-minute
session at lunchtime and get a few hours’ extra sleep.

?        
If you go to the pool and find your mind wandering,
rather quit the session. It’s pointless unless you are focused.

?        
If your body is tired from long bike and/or run
sessions, rather use your swim session as active recovery. Do a long leisurely
swim and focus on strokes per length rather than time. This way you work on
technique, but give your body a rest.

?        
Think of your swim session as practice rather than
training – you’ll get fitness through your practice as well as your bike and
run sessions.

?        
Set the primarily goal of your swim sessions to extend
your ability to focus on your form the whole time, and not on fitness. Practising
extending your focus in the pool will make the open water race experience easy,
because there will be no room for outside elements like crowds and rough water.

?        
Spend a whole session just doing drills and no
swimming – but be sure to know why you are doing the drills, otherwise it’s
pointless.

WHAT THEY SAID…

We chatted to a couple of our Dare to Tri Academy
members and this is what they had to say about their training up to now.

EMILY
ARMSTRONG

I am training for the 5150 events and will take it
from there. I did my first triathlon sprint event last year and knew after that
I wanted to keep going. 5150 is a bit of a pipe dream, as this will be the
hardest thing I have ever tackled. I want to do this for my mom, who died at
the age of 39 after battling cancer. I am 39 now and this is for her!

I have always been an active person, but became a bit
of a couch potato after an injury. Whilst at a New Year’s Eve party, I was
listening to friend talking about her first triathlon. She was a bit plump and
as I listened to her, I told myself that if she could do a triathlon, then I
could too! The next morning I Googled triathlon and by the end of January I had
signed up for swimming lessons and bought myself an exercise bike.

I love being part of the Dare to Tri programme. The
weekend training sessions are really good, as you get so much encouragement
from the group. The weekly programme keeps you focused and accountable to
yourself to keep going. The best part of the programme is Derick – his approach
to coaching keeps me motivated.

DAVE BENNET

I stopped smoking after 20
years and took up running in an effort to try and get fit. My sister-in-law had
signed up for 70.3 and kept bugging me to join up, so eventually, around
October last year, I caved in and joined the Academy. I enjoyed it so much I rejoined this year,
and now I am training for 5150 and Half Ironman.

Through the programme I am hoping to just feel fit and be healthier for my family.
After so many years of smoking I don’t want to go to back to how lazy I was
before. I loved the programme last year and am loving it again this year. I
like a scheduled routine to follow and a drill sergeant forcing me to push
myself during training. The programme’s systematic approach, coach Derick’s
experience and the support of group training make all the difference.

SEAN McCULLA

I bumped into an old friend last year who completed
Half Ironman and Ironman, and decided to tackle triathlon myself. My first goal
is to finish the Bela Bela 5150 event and then tackle Half Ironman. I did not
know where to start, though, and when I saw the article in Modern Athlete I signed up.

We are expecting our first child end of September and
I want to be fit and healthy. I was the one who used to come home from parties
at the crack of dawn and see runners and cyclist exercising in the morning and
thinking they are crazy. Now I see guys coming home at the crack of dawn while I’m
training and think those guys are the crazy ones!

My experience so far has been awesome. Derek and the
participants are encouraging and very insightful. I like the structure and
gradual progression.

QUE LEBATHA

I am training for Half Ironman and Full Ironman. I
finished Half Ironman in 2012 after self-training, but I heard about the Dare
to Tri Academy through an article in Modern
Athlete and decided to give group training a go. Triathlon is an incredibly
inspiring sport and I want to be part of that community. The Dare to Tri
programme has been a learning curve, as I used to train alone and now need to
get used to training in a group.

I would definitely recommend the programme to people
that live close to Bedfordview and are best able to take advantage of the
coached weekend sessions. I’d also recommend it to people that are keen to
experience a group environment and weekend training camps in Clarens – which I’m
really looking forward to!

PETER RANKIN

My main aim is to complete Half Ironman. I have
watched my son compete and finish two Ironman events and this got me thinking
that maybe one day I could, too. I originally decided on doing it in 2015, but
my son talked me into giving it a go next year already.

I have completed 12 Comrades and two hundred milers. Now
triathlon gives me the opportunity to try my hand at three disciplines. I have
found the training programme very doable. Derick has started us off slowly and
is slowly building us up. The mid-week training is not as bad as I thought it
would be, and the weekend coached training is fun thanks to doing it in a
group. There are different fitness levels, so there is always someone to run or
ride next to.

If you are a novice triathlete, or even if you want to
get back into triathlons, the Dare to Tri Academy is the place to be.

ADRIAN: LONG DISTANCE GOALS

When I met Mel in June 2012, I was
still riding high from completing my first Ironman in Western Australia the
previous December, and she was in full stride and ready to head to Spain for
the 2012 ITU Long Distance World Championships. Training for triathlon with
your partner has many rewards. Our time in the pool, on the bike or out for a
run is really time that we are spending together and with our friends.

Sitting around with Mel and a few
friends after a bit of a disappointing performance at a triathlon in February,
I asked a mate what the average age grouper should do in order to post faster
race results. His words: “The only way you are going to get faster racing is to
race more.” Soaking up his advice, Mel and I sat down and picked 10 long
distance triathlons. After a couple of Olympic distance races our long-distance
season was to begin in Fiji.

MEL:
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

Upon arriving on the island for the inaugural Fiji International Triathlon, we were greeted by very warm and humid weather. What
surprised me the most was that everyone knew about the race, from the taxi
driver, to the resort staff, and even the guys behind the bar in the Marina.

It is true that ‘Fiji Time’ really does
exist in Fiji. Start times are really a suggestion for most things, but this
relaxed nature is a refreshing change and makes for a stress-free life. This is
no more evident than when out cycling on the roads. The drivers are courteous
and happy to wait behind you or stop and let you cross traffic.

Race day arrived and we were again greeted
with warm temperatures. The swim was a two-lap course, finishing with a run up
stairs toward transition. I exited the water near the front and Adrian exited
not too far behind, the slightly elongated swim course not playing to his
strengths. The bike was a picturesque three-lap course. The support was
amazing. Coming off the bike as the second female, I was feeling good! A
four-lap run course around the Golf club provided a nice mix of road running
and soft grass for some relief for the legs. To say it was a hot run is an
understatement!

When Adrian came running by me with 2km to
go, I was in the lead for the women’s race and purposefully didn’t look behind
me until the last aid station, as I knew, swimming being my strength, that the
runners behind would be catching me. No-one was more surprised than me when I
crossed the line and got to hold up the finisher’s banner, a once in a lifetime
experience! I was greeted at the finish by Adrian and it was really nice to
share that experience with him.

Since
competing in Fiji, Mel and Adrian have both managed to earn spots to the 70.3
World Championships in Las Vegas, USA on 8 September.

To
put it simply a tea is “only a true tea” if it actually contains tea plant
leaves. This is why oolong, white, green and black are considered “true teas,”
as their leaves come from the actual tea plant named camellia sinensis. Rooibos and herbal teas do not contain leaves
from the tea plant. The French use the word tisane,
which is a little more accurate, since herbal tea is really just an infusion of
leaves, seeds, roots or bark, extracted in hot water. In drinking a
well-steeped herbal tea, we get all the plant’s benefits in an easily
digestible form.

MANY
CHOICES

There
are so many wonderful herbal teas on the market, so when it comes to choosing one,
it’s important to look for a well-sourced product made from high-quality
natural ingredients and which does not contain any added essential oils or
flavours! Here are a few of the most common herbal teas which can all be found
in your local supermarket, and their benefits:

Peppermint: Peppermint
tea is recommended to relieve the symptoms of abdominal gas and bloating, and
to relieve muscle spasms. It’s also good for nausea. If indigestion or
heartburn are problems, however, it is recommended to avoid peppermint
altogether. It can be made using fresh herbs from the garden, and it is one of
the easiest herbs to grow. Peppermint is also said to cure bad breath!

Rooibos: Probably the
most common herbal tea in South
Africa is the famous rooibos tea. It is high
in vitamin C as well as other minerals. An easy drinking tea, it’s largely
grown locally and has been touted for its antioxidant properties, which help
ward off disease and signs of ageing. It has also been shown to help with
common skin concerns, such as eczema.

Ginger: Another
great digestive aid, ginger can be used to curb nausea, vomiting or motion
sickness. Make fresh ginger tea by simmering a piece of ginger root on the
stove for 10 to 15 minutes. Add fresh lemon juice and honey when you have a
cold for a powerful germ-fighting combination. Ginger tea is also excellent for
improving circulation, and is one of the best herbs for improving digestion,
lung congestion and arthritis.

Chamomile: Chamomile has
been used in many cultures for stomach ailments and as a mild sedative.
Chamomile tea has also been shown to ease heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. A mouth rinse with chamomile may relieve mouth sores caused
by cancer treatments, and some research suggests that chamomile could help with
other conditions, like diarrhoea in children, haemorrhoids, anxiety and
insomnia. When used on the skin, chamomile helps with skin irritation and wound
healing.

BREW THE PERFECT CUP

When
you are making your herbal tea, use fresh, cold water. Do not use aluminium
cookware, as it can affect the taste – rather use glass, cast iron or stainless
steel, where possible. A tea strainer is very helpful, as it lets you create
your own blends of teas or herbs, and stops the leaves and flowers from
escaping into the drink.

Once
the water has boiled, add one heaped teaspoon of herbs for every cup of water. Cover
and let the herbs steep for ten minutes. Do not over-steep the herbs, as the
flavour may become too strong and taste more medicinal rather than pleasant. If
you want to enhance o sweeten the flavour of your tea, add honey or lemon.

Dietician’s
note: While all
herbal teas passed by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) of South Africa
are considered as safe, always check with your doctor to ensure that what you
are consuming complements your medication and is appropriate for your health.

(Strap) MY GOAL

The
Great Wall of China is one of the man-made wonders of the world and a
world-renowned tourist destination, and each May it plays host to the Great
Wall Marathon, of which half the distance is run on the Wall itself, including
over 5100 steps! However, that is just a small ‘tourist section’ of the Wall,
which stretches for over 4200km across China – and only two runners are known
to have ever run the full length. That was back in 2006, and it was done by
SA’s David Grier and Braam Malherbe.

Now
another South African, 40-year-old former fashion designer and creative
director Alister ‘Dream Wilder’ Koeresies, plans to run on the Wall in an
effort to raise funds to pay for school sport and playground facilities and
equipment, as well as computers, for the underprivileged kids of the
Masiphumelele township near Fish Hoek in Cape Town. “I’ve been training for a
year for this trip, doing up to 60km a day, so mentally and physically I feel I
am ready,” says Alister. “Now I’m busy lining up my support crew, because I
will need some ‘crazies’ to go with me!”

RUNNING ROOTS

Alister
was a talented middle-distance runner at school, later moving up to long
distances and running the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon in 1996, clocking an
impressive 4:36:57. He ran it again in 1999, but then took an extended break
from running. “I started again in 2011, ran another Oceans, then decided last
year to run a marathon every few weeks for five months in order to raise money
for the kids. It was the first time I had done anything like that… before that
I had been a business executive, but having separated from my life partner, I
decided to refresh myself, because I felt I had become stagnant.”

And
so, from April to August, Alister ran the Two Oceans, then based himself in the
UK to run the London Marathon, Cork Marathon (Ireland), Defi Mountain Marathon (Switzerland),
Midnight Sun Marathon (Norway), Stockholm Marathon (Sweden), Davos
Ultra-marathon (79.4km, Switzerland) and the Poeti Cinque Terra Marathon (47km,
Italy). “Some I ran unofficially as charity runs, but others I took seriously,
including finishing eighth at Defi and 13^th in the Cinque Terra. It
was a really taxing experience, because I hitchhiked and ran to get to many of
the races, but I raised about R40 000 in sponsored gear donations for the kids.”

APPETITE WHETTED

Next
Alister decided it was time to pursue one of his all-time ambitions, to visit
the Great Wall of China, and what better way than on the run? “I’ve always been
fascinated by Eastern philosophy, and when I went to Hong Kong at age 22, my
interest was piqued by a silk robe I saw on sale, which led to me becoming
interested in the old silk trade routes. That in turn led me to the Great Wall
of China, and I’ve always wanted to see it. I came across a Chinese quote that
says, ‘To be a great man, you have to stand on the Great Wall.’ Next year I
will fulfil that dream.”

However,
Alister realised that the language and culture barriers will make the trip even
harder than it already is, so in June he flew to China for a month of
fact-finding, planning, networking and training, while also taking in as much
Chinese culture as he could. This included training with various martial arts
masters. “I have no martial arts background; it was more about learning about
my inner strength and energy.” Strangely enough, the one thing he didn’t do was
visit the Great Wall. “I had to be disciplined about not ‘opening my Christmas
present’ early, because I want the Wall to be a surprise when I get there next
year.”

IN THE MEANTIME…

March
is still a long way off, so in the meantime Alister has jetted off to Europe again
for a few months of training. This includes training in the Italian Alps, running
the Davos and Cinque Terra races again, and running the 800km Camino de Santiago
Pilgrim’s Trail in Spain. “I’ll just see how my legs feel and take it one day
at a time,” he says.

To
support Alister’s run, go to www.alisterdreamwilder.co.za.

He knew something was seriously wrong as he lay there on the tar, unable
to move, and yet Pieter du Preez was still the one keeping everyone around him
calm; from the motorist who just knocked him off his bike, to the shocked
crowd. Firstly, he told the motorist that she should stop crying and that he
forgave her, because everything happens for a reason. Then he asked someone to
please phone his dad, as he would be the calmer family member to deal with the
situation.

Pieter was admitted to hospital in a life-threatening condition and
spent 42 days in the ICU. For the first 32 days of that, the doctors kept him in
an induced coma, and breathing on a ventilator. When he came round and found himself
paralysed, he made a promise to himself: Within one year he would learn how to
be totally independent, and he would find a way to do sport again, whatever it took,
and in whatever form. But SupaPiet did so much more than just ‘do sport’ again…
he has become an inspiration to many people worldwide!

A WORLD
FIRST

On 11 May this year, Pieter made history when he became the world’s
first C6 quadriplegic to complete a Half Ironman triathlon event, finishing the
Busselton 70.3 in Australia in six hours and 37 minutes. He completed the 1.9km
swim in 54 minutes by swimming backstroke with a guide tapping his feet to help
him keep direction and as a safety measure. The 90km bike leg, which Pieter
describes as his weakest discipline, took him 3:55 to complete on his hand
bike. He then went on to complete the 21km run leg in 1:33, again using his
hand bike, and beating more than 150 able-bodied athletes to the finish line.

“It was the most amazing thing I have ever done!” says Pieter. “Before
the race I just wanted to finish, but afterwards I realised I could have
actually finished in close to six hours! One of my first thoughts was that I am
only halfway. Now I can take on Full Ironman.”

NATURAL
SPORTSMAN

Growing up in Randburg, Pieter was always a gifted athlete. He excelled
at all sports and achieved provincial colours in running and duathlon. After
school he studied BSc in Actuarial Sciences at the University of Johannesburg
before moving on to a part-time Honours degree in investment management. His
love for sport continued throughout his student years, when he earned South
African colours in triathlon as well as SA Student colours in cycling in 2001.

When the accident happened on 6 October 2003, Pieter was on his way to
the chiropractor to sort out a niggling injury. He had decided to cover his
60km training ride for the day by cycling there and back. Then tragedy struck.
“An elderly lady drove right into me. Many people can’t understand why I am not
bitter, but I believe that day I had angels with me. It was amazing how calm I
was, though I had broken my neck, femur, knee and wrists.”

The accident left Pieter paralysed from his nipples down. The only
movement he has is in his shoulders and biceps. He has no tricep movement, and
though he can move his wrists, his hands don’t function. He can’t feel pain,
heat or cold, and his nervous system has been affected to the extent that he
does not sweat. “From day one in ICU, my faith in God saved me. While I was in
rehab they wanted to give me anti-depressants to help me cope, but I did not
take them. Every day I refused that little pill and said as long as I have my
faith, I will be fine,” says Pieter. “It’s been 10 years since the accident and
not one day have I had an ‘off day’ because I am in a wheelchair. Sure, I have
had off days when taxi’s drive in front of me, or a bad day at work, but not
because of my accident.”

TAKING HIS
LIFE BACK

Pieter was released from hospital on 23 February 2004 and barely two
weeks later, on 9 March, he wrote his final Honours exam. “It was tough, but I
managed to graduate with my class.” Shortly after that, he decided his next big
goal was to gain independence. Today Pieter is totally independent. He baths
and dresses himself and if needs be, can go away for a weekend and look after
himself 100%. “I had to find little ways and tricks in my quest for
independence, for instance, how to put my socks on even though I can’t move my
fingers,” he says. “I suppose I looked like a useless quad and I guess my
parents did not know where I was going to find a job, but they were always
supportive of me, even when I told them that I would find a way to participate in
triathlons again.”

A year after his release from hospital, Pieter started off with
wheelchair rugby, in which he represented South Africa in 2005 in Rio. In the
same year he got a job at Deloitte, where he still works as a senior actuarial
analyst in the Actuarial and Insurance Solutions Division. “Deloitte has been
amazing and has supported and sponsored me in all my sporting endeavours. The
whole company has been behind me, and I can’t thank them enough for what they
have done for me.” He started working towards getting back into triathlon by
first researching sporting equipment he could use, then he started cycling
before tackling his first marathon in Berlin
in 2008. That same year he married Ilse, an occupational therapist. “She is my
biggest supporter and helper on race day. We are a team,” says Pieter.

His dream was realised when he became one of the first quadriplegics
ever to complete an Olympic-distance triathlon in 2010. In the same year he
made the SA hand cycle team and represented his country at the World Cup in
Spain. Later that year he finished the 94.7 Cycle Challenge with Ilse, before earning
a silver and bronze medal on the track in the 100m and 200m sprints at the IPC
(International Paralympic Committee) World Champs in New Zealand. Then another
of his dreams was realised in August 2012, when he represented SA in the 100m
at the London Paralympics.

A CUT ABOVE
THE REST

It was just after the Paralympics that he set his sights on
participating in a Half Ironman event. “I had to find a race with a flat route,
as the bike is always my drawback, but just the idea of competing was mind-blowing,”
says Pieter. And having conquered the 70.3, he immediately set his sights still
higher. “On the way back from Half Ironman, I said to Ilse, now it is time to
set a date for full Ironman!”

And so Pieter has chosen the Busselton Full Ironman in Australia on 8
December. One of his worries is that the race extends into the night, which
might complicate things for him due to his deteriorating eyesight. He suffers
from a hereditary eye condition, which will eventually
see him becoming blind, but he is determined to see it through and become the
first quadriplegic to complete a full Ironman.

When chatting to Pieter, one quickly realises that he is a cut above the
rest. He is not only positive, but has a great sense of humour and an
unshakeable faith that this is the path that was chosen for him. “I believe to
inspire creates a circle effect. I know I inspire people through what I do, but
what they don’t realise is that when they come to me and congratulate me, that
in turn inspires me to carry on!” he says. “If I could have any words of advice
for anyone, it would be for people to be nice to each other. And if someone
means something to you, go and tell them that. Finally, I would say this: The
impossible is possible!”