Category: Features

On the 12^th
of October, Nicole Driver of Pretoria will line up for her biggest triathlon
event yet, the Ironman World Champs in Kona, Hawaii. Only a select few athletes
from all around the world qualify for this event through their local Ironman,
and Nicole secured her entry earlier this year when she finished second in the
women’s age category 25-29 at Ironman SA in Nelson Mandela Bay, clocking a time
of 10:58:11.

Unsurprisingly,
she describes this podium finish as the highlight of her triathlon career thus
far, and now she is aiming for a top 10 finish in her age category in Kona, but
regardless of results, she says she will just be thankful to be participating. “My
best friend was involved in a terrible accident last year in October and broke
her neck, which unfortunately resulted in her being left a quadriplegic. The
accident really made me realise how blessed I am, and that you should live
every day to its fullest. I think of her during each and every training session
and race,” says Nicole.

TRI TIME MANAGEMENT

Nicole has
a demanding full-time job as a brand manager for Bosch, Siemens and Gaggenau,
which does make training for the Ironman harder, but she says the people around
her make it possible. “My work colleagues are really great supporters, as most
of them are athletes, so we all have a common interest and understand the
dedication needed to be a successful athlete,” she says. “You need to sacrifice
a lot of time and accept that it takes a lot of hard work.”

This
dedication sees her up every morning of the week at 4:45am for a bike session,
and at the end of a working day she either has a swimming or running session – and
she makes sure she is bed no later than 9pm. “I get to bed early and follow a
very healthy diet and lifestyle,” says Nicole. “The hardest part about
triathlon is the training and time, especially training for Ironman distances.
It is tough on your body and mind, but at the end of the day, I do the sport
because I love it. I know when I cross the finish line in Kona, all the
training, dedication and sacrifice will be worth it.”

COMPETITIVE NATURE

Nicole’s
sporting career started early, at the age of three, when she took part in horse
riding and went on to represent South Africa in show jumping in her junior
years. The competitive bug had bitten deep and she competed in most sports
offered at her school, including athletics, hockey, netball, swimming, biathlon
and triathlon (as part of a team). However, it was only in 2010 that she took on
her first individual triathlon, over the sprint distance, and she took 15^th
position in the women’s race. Not bad at all for her first effort.

Since
then, Nicole has enjoyed brilliant results. After winning her age category at
the Bela Bela 5150 in 2011, she had a great year in 2012, finishing third in
her category at the 11Global Tri at Sun City and fifth at Ironman 70.3, then
being selected to represent South Africa at the ITU World Champs in Spain and
coming home sixth in her category. This year she started off with a fifth place
in her category at Ironman 70.3, but what topped it all was getting that second
place at the full Ironman. Now her sights are firmly set on that top 10 in
Kona.

After
coming stone-last at a compulsory school cross-country event when she was in
grade four, Robyn-Leigh’s father gave her some valuable advice: Never stop
trying, and never stop improving. He was a runner himself, while her mom was a
swimmer back in the day, and soon Robyn-Leigh’s obvious sporting genes came to
the fore. “I started getting better as a runner, then started getting into
biathle two years after that, and in my grade seven year I got into the
provincial and national team,” she says. (Biathle consists of run, swim and run
legs.)

Robyn-Leigh says her first taste of
international competition was hard. “Getting into international competition was
more about experience at the beginning. It was definitely scary! The athletes
were bigger and there was a huge gap between us South Africans and Europe.” But she says she learnt everything she could and
trained harder, and so, having come first in the Central Gauteng Biathle Champs
last year and first in the SA Champs, she was selected to represent South Africa at the Biathle World Championships
in Dubai in
2012, where she placed second in her age category.

ESTABLISHED STAR

Today
Robyn-Leigh is an accomplished star in both biathle and duathlon (run,bike,
run), and recently moved into triathlon (swim, bike, run) as well. While she says
she has no outright favourite discipline, she is really enjoying her running
more as she is improving on her speed. And this year, that speed helped her finish
second in the Potchefstroom ATU Duathlon African Championships, which saw her selected
for the SA team in August’s Ottawa ITU Duathlon World Championships in Canada. She
also finished fifth overall in the 2013 ATU Triathlon Championships held in
East London in March, and was chosen to compete in the ATU Triathlon African
Champs held in Agadir, Morocco, where she won the bronze medal in the women’s
junior race. Then in June, she placed fourth overall at the SA Biathle Champs
after just recovering from flu she picked up in Morocco.

At
the time of going to print, Robyn-Leigh was travelling to Istanbul for the ETU
Triathlon Junior European Cup, followed by the Tiszaujvaros ETU Triathlon
Junior European Cup in Hungary, which are races traditionally used by athletes
from all around the world to prepare for the ITU World Championships, which
will be held in September in London. Robyn-Leigh has thus foregone the
opportunity to race in the Duathlon World Champs in favour of getting better
exposure in the European triathlon races and possible inclusion in the SA World
Cup squad, while getting a good indication of where she ranks amongst the
world’s best in her age group. “I want to get the results and the exposure, I
want to get my name out there,” she says, “While Rio 2016 is a huge ask, I’ll
be prepared for anything that comes my way.”

DOING
THE HARD YARDS

For
a young pro athlete like Robyn-Leigh, there isn’t much opportunity for normal
teenage ‘chill time.’ In the week, she tackles an hour-long run in the
afternoon after school – a steady 5km to 7km – and then spends a further two
hours after that in the pool, depending on the season, which also sees her
doing specific sessions for endurance on cross-country routes as well as 200m,
600m and 800m track sessions to up her speed. “On weekends my dad and I go out
for a more relaxed cycle session and I do have some breaks to recover, because I think that’s very important!” She
does have most Sundays off for family time and her coach makes sure she has
down-time with friends. “I do the normal stuff I should do, like homework,
friends and catching up on TV. You can’t burn out.”

Before
leaving for Istanbul,
Robyn-Leigh was focusing more on her cycling, which is the one discipline she
feels she can still improve. Over the past seasons she has also learnt to plan
her carbs and protein intake before a competition and to hydrate properly during
race day. “I remain very positive and have always had amazing support from my
parents, two sisters, coaches as well as my school, St. Dunstan’s College. My
parents are there at the finish line and that’s always a massive relief for me.
At home, there are medals and newspaper clippings of me from competitions, and I
keep telling my mom ‘No more! My room is full!’” she jokes.

For
this young athlete, discipline and passion are the two factors that any
promising talent needs, but she rates fun just as highly, and has made a point
of making new friends on the international circuit, many of whom have become
regular opponents in subsequent meets. “What’s the point if you don’t love what
you do? You have to have fun, too! You have to stay positive and motivated, no
matter what, and the results will come.”

WHAT THEY
SAY ABOUT ROBYN-LEIGH

Zinto Sports
(sponsor):
“She’s an up-and-coming star in the sport and she’s readying herself for future
Olympic competition. It’s a pleasure to sponsor her entries, trips and
equipment, and hopefully more of her results will catch the attention of more
sponsors!”

Darryl Jones (father):
“The
sport is obviously a very expensive one to get into, so we do everything we can
for Robyn-Leigh. You need a backing in this sport to grow and develop, besides
the hard work and belief.”

Cass Jones (mother): “We
support every decision Robyn-Leigh makes and we’re very proud of her
achievements. We believe in her and in turn she believes in herself and her
ability. We push her to do her best in life.”

The SA team headed to Russia with several athletes considered
medal contenders, such as Lehann Fourie in the men’s 110m hurdles, Khotso
Mokoena in the men’s long jump and Sunette Viljoen in the women’s javelin,
amongst others. While Lehann unfortunately had to withdraw due to injury, the
SA team still had six athletes qualifying for their finals after preliminary
qualifying rounds, with another seven athletes automatically appearing in final
rounds. That saw Victor Hogan end fifth in the men’s discus, Sunette claim sixth
in the javelin, and Khotso finish seventh in the long jump, while Willem
Coertzen set a new SA and African record in the men’s decathlon as he took
ninth position, and Elroy Gelant was 12^th in the men’s 5000m. But it
was Johan Cronje and sprinter Anaso Jobodwana that stole the show.

TOP PERFORMERS

In the men’s 1500m final, Johan looked to have gotten
his race tactics wrong, as he was tightly boxed in for much of the race. With
just 250m to go and the pack winding up the pace, the SA record holder was
still down in eighth position and looking out of contention, but then things
opened up for him at just the right time and he surged up the inside lane to
claim a podium position in 3:36.83, the first ever by a South African in the
1500m at the World Champs. “I believed in myself, but I wouldn’t have
put money on myself,” says Johan. “I had a terrible tactical race – I couldn’t
go fast as everyone was on my right, and it was only the last 60 metres I had
to go past, as that’s when it opened up on the inside.”

In the sprints, Jamaican Usain Bolt further cemented
his status as the greatest of all time, but all of SA’s eyes were on Anaso
Jobodwana in the 200m final. In July he won the 100/200 ‘double’ at the World
Student Games in Russia, and after making the semi-final round in the World
Champs 100m, he then clocked 20.14 in the 200m final to finish sixth, improving
on his eighth position the 2012 London Olympics. “I was happy about how I ran in Moscow – I didn’t
lag this time, like I did in London – but when I got to the straight I tried to
kick and I started to tire up,” says Anaso. “The up is that I ran three
consistent races of a high standard and I made it to the final, but I didn’t
run a personal best and I didn’t medal. That disappointment will help me going
into next season, and I’m going to be ready for next season!”

HUNTING MEDALS

Over the past five years, South Africa’s performance
at World Champs and Olympics has fluctuated somewhat. With the team having
returned from the 2007 World Champs in Osaka, Japan with no medals, an
immediate improvement came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics thanks to a silver
medal won by Khotso Mokoena in the long jump. Then at the 2009 World Champs in
Berlin, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Caster Semenya both won gold in the 800m races, while
Khotso claimed another long jump silver. In 2011 the twin highlights of the
World Champs in Daegu, South Korea were the silver medals won by Caster in the
800m and the men’s 4x400m relay team, while LJ Van Zyl took
bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles and Sunette Viljoen also won bronze in the
women’s javelin.

Then
at the 2012 London Games, Caster’s silver in the women’s 800m was undoubtedly
the highlight of the Games, while Sunette narrowly missed a medal with fourth
in the javelin and Khotso once again made the long jump final, but a big
talking point was youngsters Anaso Jobodwana making the final of the 200m, Lehann
Fourie running in the final of the 110m hurdles, and Marc Mundell setting an
African Record in the men’s 50km walk. Meanwhile, Willem Coertzen finished a
solid ninth in the decathlon. Thus South Africa went to Moscow hoping to build
on the success of London, and while a single bronze medal may look like a poor
return, the number of athletes in finals is still something to brag about!

WALKING
WONDER

Race
walker Marc Mundell was in action in the 50km walk in Moscow, hoping to build
on his terrific SA record performance in the London Olympics, and he was
ecstatic about finishing 31^st in 3:57:55. “This was my first 50km race since London, my second-best ever time, and
one position better than London, so I am delighted. The conditions in Moscow
were challenging – the weather was all over the place, with rain, sunshine and
humidity – so I think I paced myself really well and I was on PB pace until
35km.”

“I made a tactical call at 36km to chase my PB, but
I think I underestimated the conditions and overestimated my conditioning. I
made it to 40km and then the wheels fell off. I struggled through until 45km
and gradually picked myself up for the final 5km, where I caught several
positions. I think that my recovery from surgery has gone well, but the five months
of training that I lost affected my conditioning and the base just wasn’t there
in the final 10km, which was my strength in London.”

Running
an ultra-marathon is already a big undertaking for the average athlete, but
running an ultra twice in a row, back-to-back without stopping, is a whole
different ballgame. And yet, it has been done at the Old Mutual Two Oceans
Marathon (56km), at Comrades (89km) and even as the 160km Tuffer Puffer in the
Puffer 80km trail run on the Cape
Peninsula. But up until
this year nobody had ever tried it at the Washie 100 Miler between Port Alfred
and East London, one of the toughest events on
the SA race calendar.

Incredibly,
three runners took on the Double Washie 320km challenge, and while Eric Wright
and Tobie Reyneke didn’t quite make it all the way through their ‘second lap,’
Hazel Moller did make it home to rewrite the history books. While Eric was forced
to bail 44km into the second leg, Tobie made it all the way to 293km – just
27km short of his goal – when he decided to call it a day. Although
disappointed, he was still pleased to have raised R36 000 in sponsorship for
Stop Rhino Poaching, a charitable organisation that sponsors tracker dogs for
anti-poaching units in game reserves.

“I
have always been concerned with the issue of rhino poaching, and so far they
have deployed 22 rhino dogs across SA,” explains Tobie. “Some people say ‘Oh,
but the dinosaurs died out eventually, so why do you care about the rhinos?’ I
say we should protect all the beauty around us. Today it’s rhinos; next year we
could do something different. Starting with charity, however small, can make a
difference.”

WASHIE GOAL

Tobie
got into running five years ago when he entered the Lantern Race 5km in Pretoria with his wife
Elaine. The running bug had bitten and he progressed up through the distances, until
later, flipping through Tom Cottrell’s Nedbank
Runner’s Guide to Races in South Africa, the Washie caught his eye.
However, his first attempt in 2011 didn’t quite go to plan: Tobie got lost in
the opening 14km loop around Port Alfred and eventually came home last to be
awarded the infamous Washie Tortoise Trophy.

Feeling
a bit disillusioned, he was convinced to come back and try run Washie ‘the
right way’ by Eric Wright, a seasoned Washie specialist with 24 consecutive
Washie finishes, but in 2012 Tobie’s plans once again went off course. “I had
an operation on my eye about six weeks before Comrades and I walked Comrades
still recovering from my op.” With his vision limited to a “mostly yellow
blur,” Tobie only just finished Comrades in 11:58:29 and didn’t even consider
doing Washie, which was just eight weeks later. However, in the months that
followed, his biggest wish was to go back to Washie, and this time he wanted to
do it with a double challenge.

TEAM DYNAMICS

With
Elaine and his fairly newbie seconding team of Morne Nel, Jacques Vlaming,
Jacques Burger and Gerhard and Hettie Fourie in tow, Tobie says the first 160km
went smoothly enough, but the second lap proved much more challenging as the
team struggled with the heat and running out of patience. “My seconds were exhausted
after the first leg, so here and there we had 15-minute naps – but I slept with
the car keys in case my wife had any idea of leaving!” Then with about 45km to
go, Tobie says his wife put her foot down. “I got my first ultimatum from Elaine,
who needed to catch a plane back to work on Monday morning. I was to be on that
plane or face her wrath!”

And
so, with the pace getting ever slower, Tobie decided to call it a day with 27km
to go. “I could’ve gone on for my ego, but I didn’t want to risk it. I was
grumpy, but figured there’s always next year,” he explains. “More training will
be in order, as well as more sleep in the weeks before, but for now the fundraising
will continue and we’ll see what we’re capable of in 2014. Washie is all about
going beyond your limits. Plus, Eric and I will have to kick Hazel’s butt this
time!”

To
support Tobie’s running, contact him on 083 968 5088, or go to www.stoprhinopoaching.com
to find out more about the anti-poaching organisation and what you can do to
get involved.

In
2009, one of Debbie’s running friends challenged her to do Ironman South
Africa, after he had done it, and she knew that she couldn’t let the challenge
slide. So in 2010 she lined up in Nelson Mandela Bay and came home with a 12:56 finish… and a newfound passion
as well. “In December 2009 I entered and I gave myself four months to
train. My speciality then was
cycling, but I had only ever run two half marathons. As for swimming, I’m not a
sea person,” she says. “My
first marathon was actually at Ironman 2010 and I realised from there that
running was something I loved doing – hence all the ultras I’ve done since
then! There’s just something about running that is more challenging than
cycling. My friends think I’m crazy but I get into a bubble when I run – nobody
can get in and I feel so refreshed afterwards.”

Now
with the Sunninghill Striders Running Club from Johannesburg, Debbie will be doing
her first Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon in March and then will be going for a second
consecutive sub-9:00 Comrades Marathon finish in June. She ran 9:26:51 in her
first Big C in 2011, and then followed that up with an 8:39:19 last year –
clearly a very talented runner on road, but it is on the trails that she really
shines. She grabbed a second placing in the last year’s 70km Umgeni River Run,
finishing in 9:25:35, as well as third place in the 2012 Salomon Skyrun with a
time of 25 hours and 26 minutes. The Puffer is another event on her must-do
list each year.

SUB-HEADER HERE

Debbie
has a helter-skelter routine, balancing her work as a sales rep for Roxy and DC
Clothing with a strict training programme on top of the figure skating coaching
and spinning classes she leads. But for this talented and dedicated runner, “no
time to workout” is a bad excuse. “You have 24 hours in your day – you can definitely
find the time,” she says. “I have often used that excuse, because it’s an easy
way out, but you can make a choice to train!”

She
dedicates two days a week for an hour-and-a-half run, while weekends are set
out for longer runs, and her training programme also includes spinning four
hours a week as well as fitting in a gym programme compiled by Jeppe’s Mike
Kirby, focused on leg, core and upper body strength. “Mike’s programme is tough,
but he gets you mentally prepared for a race, helping you focus on your goal
and supporting you all the way.” She also makes sure that her diet will give
her the nutrients and ‘oomph’ to get her through her week, “It plays an
important role, because your body gets no energy if you don’t eat right,” she
says, adding that she always sticks to her ‘everything in moderation’ tip, “but
it’s hard, because I love food!”

RUNNING AND GLIDING

Debbie
has been figure skating since she was six years old and has coached the sport
for the past 13 years. Just like her
running bubble, she says she skates to feel free, and to express herself and
her emotions. She has always lived an active lifestyle, but says her
running has really paid off out on the ice, and the two actually compliment
each other. “Skating has given me the base of my
leg and my core strength, including giving me that competitive outlook to the
sport. In turn, running is improving my leg strength and I have found my
skating is a lot stronger than before I ran!”

She
also agrees that balance on the ice helps her when she is out on the trails,
which is the type of running she most enjoys. “It’s definitely more interesting
when you have to run and jump through streams and over rocks. It challenges you
a little bit more and fellow runners hurry to help you out,” she says. “I think
trail running is more sociable than road running at times.” That said, Debbie
doesn’t hang around to socialise when she is in racing mode, as can be seen from
her fantastic results. “Another really great thing about my running is that I
have my parents supporting me at many of the races. They’ll make an effort to
be there to watch me run, and that support goes a long way.”

Leon Baker did not think much of the medical tests he had to undergo for
a life insurance policy. In fact, the day he did the test started out like all
the other days: No exercise, eating another greasy take-out and lounging in
front of the TV. But then came the call that changed his life: His broker
informed him there would be a loading on his insurance policy as his
cholesterol was too high and he carried too much weight. Leon was shocked.

“It was not the extra money that bothered me, it was the fact that
somebody else thought my health was so bad that they had to charge me extra for
a policy. I was 33 at the time and saw the loading as completely ridiculous. I
saw red and asked for the test to be redone in three months. My broker laughed,
but agreed.” That very night Leon was out the door and started walking around
the block. “My first walk was 3.6km and every day I kept on walking. Gradually
it got a bit easier and I got a bit quicker. I was worried about my weight, but
that wasn’t the key factor… I was more worried about my health.”

HEAVY,
HEAVIER, HEAVIEST

At his heaviest in 2003, Leon weighed 97kg. Before that he was fairly
active at school and varsity and dabbled in alternative sports such as martial
arts and underwater hockey. “I was never fat, but it always looked like I could
lose a kilo or two.” However, Leon’s weight spiralled out of control when he
started working, because he was a young father trying to support his family and
also still studying. This meant the little sport he was doing was the first
thing that went out the door. “I ate a lot while sitting in front of the TV!”

Leon was uncomfortable and did not sleep well. He had bad indigestion
and felt miserable, but never to the point where he wanted to change his
lifestyle. “Once I got on a bike and cycled 3km. It took me a week to recover
and I thought I am definitely not doing that again!”

THEN CAME
CHANGE

After the call from his broker, Leon started improving his diet by
making very simple changes, such as cutting out all junk food, reducing
carbohydrates and even buying smaller dinner plates to eat off. He lost about
10kg in two months, but that was too much, too soon, and his immune system
crashed, resulting in him suffering from flu and colds quite often. “That was a
difficult time, and the closest I came to giving up on the whole thing. I could
not understand how I could live a healthy life, but suddenly get sick.”
Fortunately this passed and by the end of 2004, Leon was back running again.

And then the bug bit. In April 2005 he finished his first 10km race in
57:13. “I was finished, but all I could think about was doing it faster the
next time around.” Leon had discovered his competitive side and participated in
more 10km races, always trying to run faster. “I was inexperienced and believed
every run had to be faster. This eventually led to injury.” To compensate, Leon
started swimming and cycling, which eventually saw him taking part in his first
sprint triathlon as well. As his injury cleared, he moved up to half marathons,
a distance he immediately fell in love with. He joined Breakthru Midrand
Striders and soon entered the 2008 Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, finishing in a
respectable 5:10. At the same time, Leon’s 21km times started coming down to an
impressive sub-1:30 and by 2010 his weight was down to 77kg.

Leon says that peer pressure from club mates led to his first Comrades
in 2009, but he crossed the line in 8:48. “The most amazing part was running
down Fields Hill with about 20km to go and realising that I was going to make
it. Up to that point I did not believe it.” His running has since improved still
more and he includes gym work, core strength, time trials, speed intervals and
long runs in his programme. These days he is even a regular podium finisher in
his age category, and has now run four consecutive Comrades, clocking 8:19 (2010),
8:23 (2011) and a very impressive silver medal time of 7:25 last year.

FUTURE GOALS

Leon’s main aim this year is to break seven hours at Comrades and get
his 10km down to sub-35 minutes, his 21km time under 80, and his marathon time
to sub-2:50. He believes he is not a naturally fast runner, but that his good
lung capacity from years of underwater hockey contributes to his success. He also
believes that running is a journey you need to discover yourself. “When
non-sportspeople see how exhausted runners are, they feel sorry for us, but
they don’t realise how alive running makes us feel.”

Leon’s family is involved in sport and both his kids, Jennifer (17) and
Dylan (13) run. In fact, Jennifer was the second junior home at the recent
Dis-Chem Half Marathon. “When your children are involved with you in sport, the
whole family is more connected,” says Leon, who now weighs a healthy 67kg, a
whopping 30kg less than at his heaviest. Though he makes sure he eats healthily,
he is not fanatical about it. “I do have pizza or chocolate from time to time,
but definitely limit my intake. The best way to think of food is as fuel. Then
you see it differently.”

Leon’s biggest goal now is to see how fast he can go. “I have exceeded
all expectations I had of myself, or that anyone else had of me. Every time I
go faster, I get more motivated. I will never go back to the fat guy in the
pictures. That is not me. When I don’t exercise, I can feel my quality of life
dropping. I believe potential is limitless, and as long as I can hold on to
that idea, I can’t see any reason I should get slower. I am going to run the
rest of my life.”

THEY SAID…

“Leon is an inspiration to many and has
achieved his goals through dedication and hard training. His enthusiasm for
running is contagious. The harder he trains, the more he enjoys the sport, and
this love of running is what motivates those around him and draws fellow club
members to persevere. I am one of many runners who has benefited from Leon’s
commitment to the sport and I am truly thankful to him for all of his time,
advice and motivation.” – Caroline
Wostmann, former Breakthru Midrand Striders member, friend and training
partner, now part of the Nedbank Dream team.

“When I met Leon about five years ago at
a race in Pretoria, he was rather ‘porky’ and I easily beat him. Over the past
few years, he has caught up with me and passed me! He has achieved so much and
is an inspiration to me. He has shown me what is possible with focus and
dedication. Thanks, Leon, for your passion and your friendship. I hope you
continue to achieve the ambitious goals you set for yourself!”- Duane Newman, chairman of Breakthru Midrand
Striders and friend of Leon.

LEON’S PBs

10km             36:11

15km             57:29

21km             1:21:21

42km             2:58:28

56km             4:36

Comrades      7:25

Growing up on a farm in Warmbaths, Wian was always
outdoors, but after suffering from asthma at a young age, the doctors
recommended a simple solution to better his breathing: Get into the pool. “I
started swimming and my coach saw something in me,” says Wian. “Also, I was
always active as a kid – I ran everywhere before I walked anywhere.” Added to
that, Wian’s parents were avid cyclists, and when they introduced him to the
bike, to go with his raw talent in swimming and comfort in running any
distance, it soon became obvious that he was born to be a triathlete.

“At first I competed in all disciplines separately,”
Wian explains, “but then I saw triathlon on TV and fell in love with the sport,
knowing I could do well. At 15, I was already taking part in my first SA
Champs.” At 17, he finished eighth at the Youth Olympics, then secured a third place
in the 2011 All Africa Games, and that motivated him to train harder, and to be
faster and more focused coming into the 2012 season. That saw him claim a win in March at the SA Triathlon
Champs in Port Elizabeth (as an elite!), grab a win in the ETU Cup in
Slovenia, and then record his big win at the World Champs in New Zealand.

AMONGST THE LEADERS

Wian went across to New Zealand two weeks before the
World Champs to adapt to the 11-hour time difference and the unpredictable
weather. But when race day came around, he still had to contend with an extremely
challenging race day. “The water was only 15 degrees, the rain was coming down
hard, and the roads were wet, but I just kept my concentration from the start.
Also, I knew that there were at least 15 athletes that could pull off the win,
because that level is hard. You push yourself to the brink, but even with all
the elements that were out there on race day, I knew I had the training,
mentality and game plan,” he says.

After some pulling and fighting up front, Wian found
the leaders in the water and exited the 750m swim in the top 10, and it
remained tough-going all the way through the race. Despite the pouring rain and
three steep climbs, Wian revelled in the difficult conditions and stayed on his
bike for the 20km leg despite numerous crashes around him. Coming into the
second transition, his legs felt good and he pulled clear of France’s Simon Viain and Ireland’s Constantine
Doherty on the second of two 2.5km laps to become the first ITU World Champion
from Africa at junior, u/23 and elite level in 1:01:44.

“It’s hard to explain the
win,” says Wian, “it was an incredible feeling and I remember jumping around.
It was a dream for me from the beginning and I kept fantasising about the win
after months of hard training.” He was also lucky enough to see his parents at
the finish line – the support system he has enjoyed and appreciated from the
beginning. “They bend over backwards for me. They only sometimes travel with me,
but they were there at the win, so it was special. They’re also athletes, so
they always support me 100%.”

TOUGH TRAINING

Wian’s win was just
reward for the hectic training schedule he follows. Depending on the time of
season, he trains 30 hours a week, including 12 hours on the bike, running 5km
to 8km each session, and often doing between 20km and 30km in the pool at the
High Performance Centre in Pretoria. While focusing on specific swim, run and
bike sessions, Wian also dedicates some time to core strength work, and of
course, he makes sure he eats right. “I always say, if you don’t put the right
petrol in your car, it won’t go, and as an athlete you need to get in proper
food!”

After a long season
(February to November), Wian cherishes some downtime at the farm in December
and January, doing chores, hanging out with friends and family, and watching
movies – anything a regular teenager would do! But now, having taken a short
break after his terrific 2012 season, Wian has set both short-term and
long-term goals for 2013 and beyond. “I have a few international races coming
up and I’m planning to get to the Rio Olympics in a few years, with lots of
planning and focus!”

Wian says he can see the
sport of triathlon slowly growing in South Africa, and with good results from
locals on the international stage, he hopes there will be still more
development. “You see athletes like Richard Murray and others getting great
wins and it gets more people interested to compete, and slowly the local races
are getting bigger and better, which is great to see.” He adds that triathlon
is not just a sport for him, it’s a lifestyle he chose and a job he loves to
do. “I’m fortunate enough to do it. There are obviously bad days when I’m tired
and sore and I think of what else I could do, but then I think about how lucky
I am to do what I absolutely love!”

THANK YOU NOTE

Wian says he couldn’t do
it without his sponsors and supporters: Coaches Lindsey Parry and Rocco Meiring, Triathlon South Africa,
Business Systems Group (BSG), High Performance Centre (HPC), Sport and
Recreation South Africa, ASG Sport Solutions, PeptoPro, PeptoSport, Future
life, ITU, Bruce Reyneke Cycles and Continental tyres.

What you eat is important, but even
healthy food can stop you from losing weight if you eat too much of it.
Dieticians never recommend extreme calorie restriction, but there are some
tricks you can use to slightly reduce the amount of food you eat without
feeling deprived. Remember, your brain is easily fooled by shifts in
perspective. It’s also more responsive to external cues like an empty plate
than internal cues like a full stomach. Understanding these influences can show
you how to tilt them in your favour. Over time this calorie difference can help
you drop weight. It’s slow, but it’s steady. And best of all, it’s painless.

1. SMALL PLATES, TALLER GLASSES

A full plate sends the signal that
you’re eating a full meal and a partially full plate looks like a skimpy meal,
regardless of the actual quantity of food. Therefore, using smaller plates and
filling them up is a proven way to eat less without noticing. Also, you can cut
down on your liquid calories by choosing taller glasses rather than shorter,
fatter ones.

2. SNACKS OUT OF
SIGHT

People eat a lot more when food is
visible. Research has also demonstrated that the harder food is to get to, even
if the extra effort is just removing a lid or walking to the cabinet, the less
likely you are to eat it. The extra work forces you to talk yourself out of a decision
you may regret later.

3. DON’T EAT FROM
THE PACKAGE

Your stomach can’t count. When you can’t
see how much you’re eating, you’re more than a little likely to lose track and
consume double or even triple the amount you’d eat if you took the time to
serve yourself a proper portion. Use a plate or napkin, to make sure you get a
good visual of everything you’re going to eat.

4. CHOOSING FAST
FOODS

?    
Portion
control: Choose the smallest size available.

?    
Add
colour: Foods with colour contain more vitamins, minerals and
antioxidants.

?    
Know
what’s in your food: Spend
some time looking at the nutritional information for your favourite take-away.

?    
Choose
fatter chips: If you have to
have some sort of fried potato, choose wedges or thick-cut chips if they are
available, as thinner fries absorb more oil.

?      
Be
salad smart: Salad can be a
nutritious, low-kilojoule option, or it can be laden with fat. Keep an eye on
what you include in your salads!

5. BE FOOD CONSCIOUS

Don’t eat while doing something else,
like watching TV, reading or working. Eat slowly and enjoy your food.

6. THOSE TRICKY FOOD SITUATIONS

Make a plan including strategies for
handling challenging food situations, such as parties or festive foods at work.
Try having a piece of fruit, cup of yoghurt, half a lean deli meat sandwich, or
a few crackers with low-fat cheese ahead of time, to avoid arriving at the
party famished and then overeating.

7. UNDERSTAND YOUR FOOD BEHAVIOUR

If we don’t understand our own triggers
and patterns of behaviour with food, it can make it difficult to change. For
example, do you eat when you’re stressed or tired?

8. DON’T THINK OF GETTING TO ‘THE END’

Making permanent, sustainable change is
the constant theme! You don’t reach the goal and then you’re finished. Life
isn’t like that. It’s about navigating the good times and the bad times.

Remember: it’s about what you do all the
time, not about what you do sometimes. Here’s to a happy,
healthy 2013!

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.