Category: Features

In
the first week of March, some 35 000 cyclists took to the streets of Cape Town
for the Pick n Pay Cape Argus Cycle Tour. Most were on conventional bicycles,
but there were also five unicycles in the field, one of them ridden by Jonathan
Benjamin of Cape Town. This 15-year-old grade 10 pupil from Westerford High
School was doing just his second Argus, and his first on a unicycle, but he was
riding with the iron-willed determination to finish – so that he could collect
on the pledges various people had made to his fundraising drive for Afrika
Tikkun, a non-profit NGO that delivers education, health and social services to
children, youth and their families in South African townships.

“I
realised I could make a difference while doing Argus, so I was looking for a
charity to ride for, and then I got an e-mail from someone at Synagogue talking
about Afrika Tikkun looking for people to ride for them, so I decided to go for
it,” says Jonathan. “I originally set my target at R2 160, which is the cost of
sending one child to school for a year, but when I got close to that, I raised
the target, and kept raising it until where it is now at R30 000! If everybody
that has promised me money sticks to their word, I should get to about R32 000.
I wasn’t expecting to even get close to R10 000, let alone R30 000, so I am
extremely happy!

GETTING STARTED

Jonathan
began unicycling nearly five years ago. “I had a teacher who was obsessed with
the circus and she had a unicycle in her class. It caught my attention and I
wanted to learn to ride it, so she leant it to me and I took about a week to
learn. It is normally quite hard for most people, but lonce you’ve got it, it
really is like riding a bicycle. What makes it harder, though, is that you
can’t free-wheel on a unicycle, you have to keep pedalling and constantly have
to balance, so you can never rest, and there are no gears, plus you’re sitting
a lot higher, which means there is more wind resistance.”

Shortly
after his first unicycling attempts, Jonathan’s father, photographer Shawn
Benjamin, started mountain biking and Jonathan would go along on his bike. Up
in the forests on Table Mountain one day, he spotted more unicyclists. “I saw a
whole group of people unicycling in the forest, on off-road unicycles, which is
what I wanted to do, so I got myself a 20-inch unicycle and took up forest
unicycling.”

ARGUS ON ONE WHEEL

Having
mastered the one-wheeler, Jonathan told his parents that he would like to ride
the Argus on a unicycle, but they said he was still too young and
inexperienced. “I’d been wanting to do the Argus on my uni for three years, but
the first year I was still too small to fit on a big 36-inch uni, the second
year my parents said I first had to ride a normal bike to get experience of the
race, then this year they finally said yes.”

That
saw Jonathan up his training considerably for what would be his longest
unicycle ride yet. “I did some mountain biking with my dad for basic fitness,
then two 20km off-road rides on my uni, and then a 30km, a few 60km and one
70km ride on the uni on the road. I also did a few quick mid-week rides near
home.” Some of his training was done with three fellow unicyclers who would
also be riding the Argus, and he was leant a 36-incher by Alan Reed of Oddwheel
Unicycles.

“We
all started together in NU group, along with a visiting American unicycler, but
I only saw two of the others during the race. The race went extremely well and
I was the first unicyclist to cross the finish line in about six-and-a-half
hours. I thought the last 40km would be a lot harder, but it wasn’t as bad as I
expected. Still, I’m not sure if I will do it again on a unicycle, but I had a
great time and want to say thank you to everybody that supported my fundraising.”

For
more info on Afrika Tikkun, go to www.afrikatikkun.org. To support Jonathan’s
fundraising drive, go to www.beasport.org.za/beasport/project/power-of-one

Growing up, I took part in
many sports enthusiastically, albeit some not always successfully, as my old
cricket coach would vouch for! I was never a runner at school… in fact, the
only running I recall was either on the football pitch or to the beach to check
out the surf. I quickly developed a love for the ocean and I found surfing was
a great way to express myself and escape problems at home.

My parents’ separation when
my brother Kristian and I were 9 and 13 respectively was devastating. It was
further compounded when Kristian fell ill whilst we were driving through to
visit family in Johannesburg. He was admitted to a hospital in Bloemfontein and
diagnosed with leukaemia a few days later. I didn’t understand how life-threatening
leukaemia was until I saw Kris in hospital connected to various drips and
machines with the colour drained from his frail-looking body. It was a life-changing
moment for me.

My Dad’s kombi was turned
into an impromptu ambulance and we rushed Kris overnight to the Red Cross
Children’s Hospital in Cape Town. He spent the next few weeks in the leukaemia
ward – many times in intensive care – and my memories of that time are
harrowing. Kris was one of the lucky ones and eventually made a full recovery,
even fulfilling his dream of becoming a father after being told that he would
never be able to have children. Today Kris lives with his fianc?e Kelly and their
two beautiful children Zach and Skye on the south coast of England.

FOR KRIS AND
MOM

After returning home to Cape
Town from a six-year work stint in London, I decided to take up running and
completed my first half marathon in 2006 in Knysna. I eventually moved on to my
first full marathon and then first Two Oceans ultra-marathon in 2009. I
dedicated both runs to Kris and my Mom, who had recently overcome breast cancer.
I got in contact with The Sunflower Fund at the time and my wife, Bianca, and I
registered as donors on the South African Bone Marrow Registry.

I then started thinking about
what more I could do for The Sunflower Fund and made plans for fundraising at
Two Oceans in 2010. Unfortunately, I had my first major running injury in late
2009. After some rehabilitation, I tried to qualify for Two Oceans but had
another breakdown and then took the difficult decision of taking time off to
fully recover.

BECOMING A
TRIATHLETE

The six long months of not
being able to run were hard, but made me more determined to come back a lot
stronger. I took up cycling and swimming and did my first sprint distance
triathlon as part of my comeback. I enjoyed it so much that I knew that one
sport would never be enough again!

My friend Jason Taylor and I
entered our first Argus Cycle Tour in 2011 and I decided to use it as a
platform to raise funds for The Sunflower Fund as part of their Miles 4 Marrow
Campaign. My fundraising went a lot better than my cycle did on the day (five
punctures!) but I enjoyed the experience and began thinking about what to do
next. I then completed my first ultra trail run and followed it up with an 80km
PUFfeR run, finishing in The Sunflower Fund kit. The incredible support I got
from people as I ran wearily along Signal Hill and then into the Waterfront
because I had The Sunflower Fund top on got me thinking about how I could use
sporting events to help increase visual awareness and exposure of this charity
to the public.

Since then I have
participated in the Totalsports Challenge, run a number of half marathons, and
more recently ran my first road marathon in three years, all in aid of and
wearing my beloved The Sunflower Fund kit.

MY BIGGESTE
CHALLENGE YET

This year I decided to take
on my biggest challenge yet for The Sunflower Fund by taking on The Spec-Savers
Ironman South Africa in Nelson Mandela Bay on 22 April. The event comprises a
3.8km swim, a 180km cycle and a 42.2km run, all to be completed in less than 17
hours in order to be called an Ironman.

Fitting in the training required
to complete this iconic event has been challenging but gratifying, as I am
doing it for a cause close to my heart. The show of support has been incredible
with New Balance, Coral Wetsuits and Dykes van Heerden Attorneys amongst others
that have donated or sponsored towards fundraising going into the event.

DRAWING
INSPRIATION

Inspiration is readily
available and often in places you don’t quite expect it unless you open your
eyes and your heart. It is easy to be inspired watching athletes competing in sporting
events like the Two Oceans, Comrades and Ironman, or the Olympics, achieving
feats seemingly impossible to many of us mere mortals. However, I draw my
inspiration from people like my brother Kris and more recently my friend
Lucille Swart, who is fighting leukaemia for a third time and to whom I am
dedicating my first Ironman. Whenever I have a tough moment in training or
experience pain when I am racing, I think of them and remember what they have
overcome, and that gives me the strength and resolve to carry on and finish.

Science and technology have
come a long way since the days when my brother was treated and becoming a bone
marrow donor is not as scary as one thinks. In South Africa, we are a nation rich
in diversity and culture, which also means that getting a donor match is not
always easy. It only takes two test tubes of blood to become a donor and then,
if chosen as a donor match (one in a 100 000 chance), the process is similar to
donating blood. A donor’s stem cells are harvested when blood passes through a
cell separator machine.

The Sunflower Fund’s message
is “Share a Little, Save a Life” and means exactly that. Consider becoming a
donor or help The Sunflower Fund by fundraising for them through their Miles 4
Marrow campaign. By sharing so little of yourself and becoming a donor, you may
give someone a chance at life that they never had before.

To donate, sponsor or follow Scott’s
Ironman Journey, go to www.scotttait.co.za
or join the Tri-ing for The Sunflower
Fund group on Facebook. For more information on The South African Bone
Marrow Registry, contact Chris Moir at The Sunflower Fund on 021 701 0661 or
[email protected].

ELROY
GELANT, 5 000M

It’s been a busy start to the year for Elroy. In
mid-February he won the South African Cross-country Trials, then jetted off to
Istanbul, Turkey for the IAAF World Indoor Champs in early March, where, he
made it to the final of the 3000m, finishing in 7:48.64 to break the SA Indoor record. A week
later he was second-best SA finisher at the CAA Africa Cross-country
Championships in Cape Town. Just two days later, he was back on the track at
the Stellenbosch leg of the Yellow Pages series, going after the 13:20 IAAF A
standard qualifying time for the 5000m for London.

Admittedly, Elroy’s personal best is only 13:25.09, so
he has some serious work to do if he wants to get to London, but the way he is
going after that mark is what makes people think he can do it, even if he did –
quite understandably – fade a bit in the middle of the race in Stellenbosch.

“I maybe started a bit fast and my hamstrings
really felt it after a while. I’m still feeling the cross-country in my legs
and haven’t got my rhythm back yet,” said Elroy, having just run 13:25.50, less
than a second off his PB, and finishing second to Gladwin Mzazi. “Still, I
think I can go faster if I rest up now, then work on getting my pace and
endurance right to go for 64 seconds per lap. I was close today, and I know I
can do it.”

GLADWIN MZAZI, 5 000M

Much is expected from Gladwin Mzazi after his
recent performances in the 5000m. In Stellenbosch, he initially looked a bit
off the pace, then joined Elroy Gelant up front to chase that 13:20 qualifier,
and eventually outsprinted his tiring countryman to win the race in 13:24.50,
the sixth-fastest ever by a South African, and take nearly six seconds off his PB!

Gladwin and training partner Steven Mokoka, who missed
the race while recovering from a minor injury, have made it known that they are
chasing the 5000m qualifying mark. In the Yellow Pages Interprovincial in
Bellville on 3 March, he and Steven really went for it, but a strong south-easter
blew away their chances. Still, the two gave the crowd a huge thrill with a
sprint finish that Gladwin won.

After his PB in Stellenbosch, Gladwin said, “I
really wanted to go for the qualifier, but my body just did not respond in the
first 2km. I’m very happy with my PB, but I need to go faster if I want to get
to London. I think if Steven had been here today, all three of us would have
done it.”

LJ VAN ZYL, 400M HURDLES

Having been to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the
Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006 and four
IAAF World Champs meets, LJ van Zyl has both the ability and the experience to
bring back a medal from London.
He took bronze in his specialist event at the World Champs in South Korea last
year, then anchored the 4x400m relay team to silver, and also finished fifth in
Beijing and first in Melbourne. And what’s more, he says he owes it to himself
to be on the podium in London.

“I’ve won medals at the World
Championships, Commonwealth Games and African Championships, so what I really
want now is an Olympic medal. I was fifth last time and want to do well again,
but first I must qualify, then get to the final, and to do that I need to be
running consistently under 48 seconds.”

To qualify for London, LJ has to run
49.50 seconds, and with a PB of 47.66, the SA record he ran twice last year, he
feels the qualifying mark is within his grasp. However, he has still changed
his approach this year. “Last year I was in top shape in April and May, but
this year I want to shift those six weeks to reach top shape at the Olympics.”
LJ says he will also be running a few 400m races, having run 44.86 second in
Germiston last year, a mere 0.28 seconds off the national record. “If I can go
a little faster in the 400m, I know I can bring my time down even more over the
hurdles.”

With a loud crack, the huge tree began to fall,
but to the horror of the men cutting it down, it was falling the wrong way,
straight down on the Grade R classroom of the Carter Primary School in
Alexandra, Gauteng. The heavy branches crashed through the roof and severed the
lower legs of five-year-old Lewis Wynne, an energetic little boy who loved
running around and dreamed of becoming a policeman. Later that same day, Friday
14 October 2011, 38-year-old Carien Helberg of Somerset West in the Cape
watched the news on television and was moved to tears when Lewis’ mother told
how he had woken up and asked when he would be able to run again.

Having started running in 1996 and with a Comrades and
a couple of Two Oceans ultras as well as the AfricanX three-day trail event to
her name, Carien had decided that she wanted to dedicate her running in 2012 to
a good cause after watching disabled children taking part in the Pritt IronKids
race at the 2011 Ironman. “When I saw this one little blonde girl shuffling in
with a walking frame, I knew I had to run for a purpose, and not just run because
I can. So when I saw the news bulletin that night, the Wynne For Lewis Campaign
was born.”

LOOKING FOR LEWIS

With the help of Dezroy Poole and Jacky Maclean of Stillwater
Sports & Entertainment, organisers of the AfricanX, Carien made contact
with E.TV News reporter Michelle Craig, who had covered the story. Michelle put
her in touch with Eugene Makhene of the Assault Riderz Bikers club, who had sponsored
Lewis a wheelchair and who continue to support the Wynne family with groceries. Eugene has developed a
close bond with Lewis and got him into the Hope School in Parklands, which
specialises in the needs of disabled children.

When Carien went to Johannesburg a short while later for a sales
conference, Eugene took her to meet Lewis and translated for her, as Lewis’
family speaks only Zulu. “It was a very emotional meeting. I
could see that Lewis’ parents, Kenneth and Ntswaki, were devastated, but Lewis was
smiling. The
wheelchair had given him some mobility, but the factory turned-house the family
of six live in is not wheelchair-friendly at all, and Lewis has to be carried
around.”

“In the meantime, Europecar and Centauri Medical have come on board to
sponsor Lewis new prosthetic legs, and these two companies will also cover the
maintenance costs for the next few years, until the State hopefully settles the
lawsuit for negligence that led to the accident. The law firm handling Lewis’
case is also sponsoring Lewis’ school and boarding fees as well as transport
costs to his new school for the first year, but he will need long-term funding
for medical needs, counselling, care and schooling, so I decided to establish a
trust fund and get sponsorships for my running to raise funds for Lewis.”

Kays for the
Cause

Carien, who has a degree in nursing and currently works as a
medical rep for an orthopaedic company selling hip and knee implants, is aiming to run at least
600km in official races from 14 October 2011 to 14 October 2012, including the
Two Oceans, Comrades and Washie ultras, as well as the 3 Cranes and AfricanX
multi-day trail events. She will be running most of these races with long-time
running partner Elize Kruger of Kimberley, with fianc? Gary and
Elize’s husband, Frikkie, as their seconding team.

The AfricanX in March is set to be a highlight of the
campaign, with Eugene and his fellow bikers planning a road trip around the
country, in conjunction with Biker’s Life
magazine, to raise funds for Lewis, including a stop-over in Kleinmond during
the race to support Carien. Dudley of Biker’s
Life says they’re going to make a huge bike procession into Kleinmond, so AfricanX
is going to be a very special race for us all,” says Carien.

“I call Lewis Little Brave Heart, because nothing gets
him under. I think he will show everybody that life is what you make of it, and
will reach out to others who have suffered, to tell them to go on with life. He’s an incredible little
boy, and I want to do what I can to help get him back on his feet.”

To support Carien’s campaign to help Lewis, go to www.wynneforlewis.org.

A
popular goal amongst runners is to complete a marathon on each of the seven
continents, but most take some time to achieve this due to family, work,
financial and recovery constraints. However, a new challenge was born in November 2003 when British adventurers Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr
Mike Stroud managed the feat in just seven days in the Land Rover 7x7x7
Challenge. Six years year
later, Irish ultra-runner and event organiser Richard Donovan decided to
attempt the challenge in under six days, and after running in Antarctica, Cape
Town, Dubai, London, Toronto, Santiago and Sydney, he had brought the record
down to five days, 10 hours and eight minutes.

Not content with that, in mid-January of this year
he decided to try doing it in less than five days (120 hours), since he was
going to Antarctica soon to recce the route for the upcoming Antarctic Ice
Marathon that he organises. Thus, within two weeks, The World Marathon
Challenge 2012 was set-up, which saw Richard return to Cape Town for a most
unusual midnight marathon.

“The Russians stage their Antarctic
flights out of Cape Town, so that makes it a logical point for the African leg
of the challenge,” explained Richard just before starting his Cape Town run. “I
prefer to run the Antarctic leg first because it is probably the hardest due to
the extreme temperatures and weather, but the rest are just as hard when you only
have eight or nine hours between each run. But I’m running to raise funds for
GOAL, an international aid agency that works to
alleviate the suffering of people affected by famine and drought in the Horn of
Africa, and that keeps me going.”

MIDNIGHT
MADNESS

So, having just run a 4:21:11 marathon in
Antarctica in temperatures as low as minus-10 degrees Celsius, Richard immediately
flew 4200km back to Cape Town, landed around 11pm on 1 February, and was driven
straight to the start point of the Aca Joe Cape Town Marathon by James Evans,
President of Athletics South Africa. As event director of the race, James had
guided Richard along the course during his 2009 run, and was on hand to do so
again.

Waiting at the start were
local runners Paul
Britain, David Fox and Cole Stanton, who had volunteered to keep Richard
company, and after a brief chat, the four set off, accompanied by a mini convoy
of seconding cars. With quick refreshment stops every five kays, they finished
at the Cape Town Stadium in 4:23:51, and after a quick shower at Paul’s
house, Richard was whisked back to the airport to catch his flight to Brazil,
just eight hours after landing in the Mother City!

GLOBETROTTER

Next up Richard ran a 4:19:00 marathon on the Sao Paulo
Air Force Base, then flew to Orlando in the USA and ran a 4:44:27. From there
it was off to London for a 4:32:45 run in temperatures as low as minus-6 degrees,
but he was warmed up by a surprise visit from his three sisters and his niece. However,
by this stage he was taking serious strain, as can be seen from this tweet
while waiting for his flight to Hong Kong: “Not able to keep food or
liquids down, which is a result of a combination of fatigue and travel. This is
a ‘marathon’ challenge of a different nature!”

That made the remaining legs very tough, but he
finished Hong Kong in 5:03:05 and Sydney in 5:21:40, crossing the finish line
in 4 days, 22 hours and three minutes! He had run 295km, flown 43 500km in just
under 56 hours in the air, and spent 10 hours waiting in airports and 18 hours
disembarking, going through customs and travelling to and from marathon
locations. His average finishing time for the seven marathons was 4:40:51.

After finishing, Richard wanted to
say thank you to everybody that followed and supported him, and who made
contributions to GOAL. “I am also extremely grateful to the measurers and
support crews in each location for their hospitality and for making the effort
possible. Finally, apologies to the Australian Border Control agent for causing
alarm when answering what countries I visited in the previous six days!”

Go to www.worldmarathonchallenge.com to find out more about
Richard’s run.

White
bread, brown bread, in fact any bread… more often than not it is blamed for
many health problems, including weight-gain and gastrointestinal discomfort. Although
bread can be a contributing culprit, it is not the only food item that can be
blamed, and I strongly believe that bread in moderation – and the right type –
can be part of a healthy balanced diet.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS

The
human body is designed to run on carbohydrate and naturally has a ‘sweet
tooth’. However, humans have found a way to cheat nature and isolate the
sweetness of foods, but these foods are too sweet for our bodies to handle. All
forms of concentrated sugar – white sugar, brown sugar, malt, glucose, honey
and syrup – are fast-releasing, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar levels.
This sugar is not required by the body and eventually the excess sugar is
stored as fat. Most concentrated sugar is also devoid of vitamins and minerals,
which can lead to altered metabolism, low energy and weight problems. Refined
carbs such as white bread, white rice and refined cereals have a similar effect,
releasing sugar into the blood rapidly and causing your blood sugar balance to
soar and drop.

Balancing
your blood sugar is probably the most important factor in maintaining even
energy levels and weight. If your blood sugar level (glucose) is too high, the
body converts excess energy to glycogen (short-term glucose storage) or fat
(long-term glucose storage). When levels are too low we experience symptoms of
fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, nervousness, depression, sweating,
headaches, digestive problems and hunger. If you control your blood sugar, you
have more stable energy levels and can control your appetite and weight.

FOOD INTOLERANCE/SENSITIVITY

One
of the most common ways we now eat carbs is in the form of grains, especially
wheat. We eat cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner,
which all contain wheat. The most common protein in wheat is gluten, and gliadin,
a sub-set of gluten, is found to be a common intestinal irritant and can cause
allergic reactions. So that is one of the reasons people feel so much
‘lighter’, less flatulent, and higher in energy, when they reduce their bread
intake.

ARE ALL BREADS EQUAL?

Some
bread is made from more refined white flours versus whole grain, more complex
starches that result in a slower release of glucose into the blood and thus
don’t surge blood sugar levels. Also, different types of grains contain
different amounts of gliadin. For example, the flour made from the grain of
oats does not contain gliadin and thus is less irritating on the gut. In
general, the more whole grain and less refined the bread, the better.

HOW MUCH BREAD IS OK?

Everyone
has a personal tolerance of how much gluten/wheat they can digest without
getting symptomatic. The same goes with maintaining blood sugar levels: If you
eat too much (even if it’s slow releasing carbs) at one setting, the load of
sugar is going to be too much, resulting in too much glucose in the blood,
causing rollercoaster blood sugar levels.

Generally,
a good rule of thumb is never eat more than two slices of bread per day, and try
not to do so every day. If you are going to eat bread, choose more
complex, unrefined sorts like bread made of whole grain rye and oats. Remember,
balance is key!

Growing up in Natal,
it was a yearly ritual to support the Comrades runners, with everyone in the
house getting up early to watch the start and spending the day in front of the
television waiting to cheer on the final runners before that gun went off.
Also, my mother came from runners and my dad was a runner, so I knew about
Comrades before I even knew what a marathon was, but I was a swimmer until 2009,
when I thought it would be a fantastic idea to run Comrades in 2010 and stay
for the Soccer World Cup.

However,
living in Australia
and training for Comrades is honestly one of the most mentally challenging
quests I have ever done. One of the main reasons for that was the lack of major
running clubs like you get in South
Africa, and being so far away from the
build-up to Comrades, so it was hard to find that drive that has to be the
core, I think, for every runner wanting to be involved in Comrades.

So when I
crossed that finish line in Durban,
in a time of 10:32, the first thought that entered my head was that I needed to
do it again. A sub-9:00 Bill Rowan medal had been my goal, and being the
stubborn person I am, when it comes to achieving personal goals it becomes my
number one priority. Therefore, my goal for 2011 was a sub-9:00. I thought
about it a million times a day and talked to my girlfriend (now fianc?) and my
friends about it daily!

DOING IT RIGHT

My training
started a lot earlier this time round and mental preparation was a main goal. I
started running 10km three times a week in August, with the intention to qualify
at the Sydney Marathon in mid-September. However, it happened to be the
Oktoberfest in Sydney
on the Saturday, so we decided to have one cheeky beer… and I ended up being
very sick in the hotel room until the early hours of the morning! I managed to
finish in 4:28, but will never again go to Oktoberfest the day before a
marathon!

By the start
of January I had only about 300km under the belt, partly due to laziness, but
also because it was difficult to get motivated with no running clubs in my area
who train for marathons, never mind double marathons! And trying to find a
training partner for a Sunday 40km long run in the hot and humid Australian
summer was a joke. I was finding it a lot tougher than the previous year, it
was more mentally challenging with the boredom and time spent alone – and it
was going to get a lot worse with what was in store for me.

I got to
March and was having niggling problems with my shins, calves and hamstrings, but
deep tissue massage seemed to help and I finally ran got another qualifying
marathon under the belt, running 3:48 at the Caboolture Marathon. A very
interesting marathon, running loops of 500m around an old village and then
every hour they would alternate the direction. Good group of people that made
the night memorable and having such a short course was great for spectators.

Then, early
one Sunday morning, I was up at 4am for a 60km long run, but I only got to 3km.
I wanted to do 60km because I had missed a few long runs and my confidence was
down, so I needed to finish a massive run to believe I can do it. But the pain in
my left shin was just too sore to keep running and it was the longest, hardest
walk home. Shin splints was my initial thought, so I saw a sports
physiotherapist, who referred me to a sports doctor with a note saying “possible
fractures in left tibia.” I had an MRI and they found a bad hairline fracture
about three-quarters the length of my tibia. The doctor said it looked like I
had been “running on a broken leg” for quite a while, and I must stop running
for at least six weeks, but this was just nine weeks till Comrades, and I did
not take it well…

NOT BEATEN YET!

Where there
is a will, there is a way! So I found a podiatrist after my stubborn side
kicked in and he asked me, “Do you want to do Comrades?” and I said “I’m
finishing Comrades!” He agreed to help me and told me about water running and
low-resistance cycling to keep the cardio training up while I couldn’t run. He
also needled my legs to introduce more bloodflow for increased healing. I researched
water running, found myself a floating belt, and a week after I had seen the
doctor and stopped running, I was water running.

WOW, water
running is not a sport to get inspired by or think it will move you mentally,
but if this is what it would take, then I was doing it. It was a 25m pool with
a clock at one end. The first couple of laps were not too bad and I felt like I
was getting a workout, but by the tenth lap time stood still and my mind
wondered… From then on, I don’t know what people passing by would have thought,
but I hit the pool with a running hat on and my ipod tucked under the hat, with
my running shoes, going for gold in the pool! If this training did not work
that great for actual Comrades training, then at least it made me mentally
stronger. Or insane.

BIG DAY ARRIVES

About a week
before I left for South Africa, I managed to smash out 5km on grass, which
really felt good and gave me that boost of confidence that I needed, but in the
back of my mind I knew there was still another 80km on top of that to go. I got
to South Africa
a week before Comrades and stayed with family in Westville, where I managed
another 5km, this time on tar. The night before the race, I prepared everything,
slept well, and in the morning my mother drove me down to the start in Durban. I was feeling a
little nervous, but good. Then, watching other runners getting out of their
cars, I noticed their running chips on their shoes… My language was not for
any mother to hear, let alone my own, but somehow we got to Westville and back in
time for the start!

I felt great
for about 25km, but then came a twinge in the right hamstring that would never
go away. When I got to Pinetown it dawned on me that the sub-9 was unfortunately
going to remain a dream. Every marker I would try work out what my finishing
time would be if I kept at that pace and the whole day then became about
running, maths and urination. I think I must have the smallest bladder in the
world when it comes to Comrades! By the time I got to halfway I was knackered,
mentally and physically, but knowing that I had my family and friends there on
the day and my fianc? in Australia
watching on the Comrades website and texting me, kept me going.

Polly Shorts
just never ended, and at the top my time was really tight to get to the end
under 11 hours and get another bronze – I would have to run the last 7.5km to
make it. As if I had not had enough stress for the day – or the past nine weeks
– here I was worrying about the medal I got… but that’s what happens at
Comrades, and I made it in 10:54.

I am now taking
a break from Comrades, but find it hard thinking that I am not doing Comrades 2012.
I will try reach my Green Number, because I think that is the pinnacle of the
sport. Comrades is a bug and you just have to keep doing it until you are
cured!

With catchy
songs like Push me to the Floor and Life Design, The Parlotones have made a
name for themselves on the world stage. The band, made up of lead singer Kahn
Morbee, drummer Neil Pauw, guitarist Paul Hodgson and bassist Glenn Hodgson,
have won several South African Music Awards (SAMA’s), MTV Africa and MK music
awards for Best Video, Best Group and Best Rock Band. However, their popularity
and iconic status have not gone to their heads – they are giving back and as
part of their social responsibility have decided to climb Kilimanjaro in March
to raise awareness of the abuse of women and children.

“This is
special for us to be a part of,” says Paul. “Kilimanjaro will be a unique
experience and we will be bringing awareness to the injustice of abuse against
women. It’s a social issue that’s still in our culture today.”

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The band
will be joining a host of other celebrities and media personalities to climb
from 5-9 March. The climb, organised by the UN, will highlight the
“Africa-UNiTE ‘Speak out Climb up to end Violence against Women and Girls’
campaign. This initiative was started to rally society in eradicating violence
and abuse against women. “The issue won’t just go away by climbing a mountain,”
explains Paul, “but if we can’t solve everything, some change will be
significant in the long run. We can’t just do nothing about the issue. We’ll
look back 10 years on and see how things have changed – even if it’s small.”

The band
has already been involved in numerous charities and awareness campaigns, such
as Earth Hour, Carbon Free, a Japan Earthquake Relief Fundraiser, United
Against Malaria and The Starfish Foundation (a charity for orphaned children).
Paul explains that with a public image comes a public responsibility: “You have
to give back. We don’t go along to our shows and preach to our fans about
social causes. People see what we’re doing and follow on. When you give back in
any way, you grow as a human being.”

CLIMBING TO THE TOP

The
Parlotones have recently been on a US
tour before coming back to Africa in March for
the climb. While their training guide recommends eight weeks of training, Paul
says they have not had much time for training. “We probably have a good two to
three weeks,” he laughs. “We don’t know what to expect at all. We’ve done
adventure stuff like sky-diving and bungee jumping, but climbing is different.”

The band
has fit in several hikes and are taking time out on as many outdoor trails as
they can. “We’ve learnt to hike regularly, going up and down to get used to the
impact on the legs. We have learnt to keep our endurance up, because soon we’ll
be climbing and walking five to six hours at a time. Neil, the drummer, is
probably in the best shape out of us all, because he runs and walks regularly.”

Mount Kilimanjaro is 5 895m above sea level, so Paul is weary about
altitude factors. “We have to be fit, but also we don’t know what to expect
from being at such a high altitude. It’s a weird thing, because some people get
affected and some don’t. Your mind can just switch off and some can’t go
further, so we’ll have to prepare for anything.” The UN has also sent the band
various checklists and recommendations for the climb. Apart from a training
schedule, there is a list of things to bring along like proper hiking boots,
weather-proof jackets for inconsistent weather, thick, breathable socks, and
walking sticks.

LOOKING TO 2012

While the
band sees the climb as a big adventure and important part of their social
responsibility, their new album, Journey Through
the Shadows, to be released by beginning April, also pays tribute to social
causes, because certain issues need to come out from the shadows in order to
move forward. “The new album has The Parlotones vibe, but we go in different
directions. It’s exciting and it’s definitely our best work yet,” says Paul,
who adds that the band is planning to tour the US again, but will also travel
South Africa to promote their new material while making sure their public
persona continues to make people aware of social issues.

The opening ceremony of the
Games will take place on 27 July and the Games will run for two weeks, ending
on 12 August. It promises to be a spectacular event, with 26 sports broken down
into a total of 39 disciplines that will be contested by the world’s best. From
all corners of the globe, the race for spots on the various countries’ Olympic
teams is hotting up as athletes try to make the qualifying standards.

In South Africa, according to
SASCOC, the final date for Games qualification is 31 May, but various codes
have other qualification cut-offs. “We have spent many hours investing in our
sports stars and hopefully we will reap some of those rewards in London. Many
of the codes are busy with their final qualifying preparations right now,” says
SASCOC Chief Executive Officer Mr Tubby Reddy.

Amongst our
hopeful Olympians are some of the best long distance runners in the country,
and Modern Athlete caught up with
three of them: Coolboy Ngamole and Ren? Kalmer, who have both already qualified
for the Olympic marathon, as well as Irvette van Blerk, who is hoping to
qualify next month.

IRVETTE VAN BLERK

One of our
country’s top half marathon athletes, Irvette decided last year to take on the
marathon distance in order to make the Olympic team. Though she has been
training for this distance, she has not yet completed a marathon – her first
marathon was going to be the Soweto Marathon in November, but after an
unfortunate fall in the early stages, she had to withdraw later in the race.
She now has her eyes set on qualifying for the Games at the upcoming London
Marathon in April, where she hopes to run the required sub-2:37 qualifying
time.

“I am
nervous with it being my first marathon. Soweto was not the best of
experiences, but luckily I have recovered from all injuries and I am ready for
this new challenge. I believe in myself and would like to enjoy every minute of
the experience in London.” She will be accompanied to the London Marathon by
fianc? and Olympic 400m hurdles hopeful LJ van Zyl. “LJ is also a big
motivation to qualify. It will be very special for both of us to share an
experience such as the Olympic Games.”

Irvette will
be jetting off to New York to run the New York Half Marathon on 18 March. “That
is where I set my PB of 70:56 last year!” And just like most athletes, she is
dreaming of an Olympic medal, but at the same time she is realistic and says if
she does qualify, she will aim for a PB at the Games.

REN? KALMER

She is one
of our country’s best known and most loved female athletes. After a career of some
15 years mainly focussing on the 1 500m on the track as well as shorter road
distances, she decided to shift focus to the marathon last year. Her biggest
breakthrough yet was recently when she ran a 2:29 marathon in Yokohama, Japan,
and qualified for the Games.

“I am very
happy that I made the switch to the marathon distance last year already,
because I underestimated the distance! With my performance in Yokohama I proved
that I can compete internationally. I am convinced that I can still run much
faster.”

Marathon
athletes have until 30 April to qualify for the Games, whereafter a team of three
athletes will be chosen. “Till now I am the only SA women who has qualified,
but I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be a full women’s team
representing South Africa. I don’t think a full SA women’s team has ever been
chosen, so it will be fantastic if another two women can qualify.”

Ren? will
soon be in action in London and Japan as a pacemaker. The first race is the
Nagoya Women’s Marathon in Japan. “I need to run at 3:25min/km pace and have to
pace between the 15km and 25km mark.” In April she is off to London to help
those trying to qualify in under 2:28. “This is going to be such great
experience in the build-up to the Games.”

Having been
part of the Olympic team in 2008 in Beijing, Ren? says this time around she
knows what to expect. She does not plan to run another full marathon before the
Games, as it takes too much out of one. “I am concentrating 100% on the Games.
I will be running a few local races, such as the Two Oceans Half Marathon and
the Spar Women’s series.” As for the Games, she says she is hoping to be
competitive. “I am hoping for a PB, everything thereafter is a bonus.”

COOLBOY NGAMOLE

The reigning SA Marathon Champ took much of the pressure off
himself this year by already qualifying for the Games last year, when he flew
home in a personal best time of 2:10:43 in Valencia, Spain, in November. Another
four of our male marathon runners have already run sub-2:15 qualifying times
for the Olympics: Lusapho April (2:11:09), Stephen Mokoka (2:10:29), Hendrick
Ramaala (2:12:22) and Othaniel Phahlane (2:14:55). It is up to SASCOC to decide
who makes the team.

Coolboy seems a certain pick and
says he is very excited about the prospect. “I am very happy with my training
up to now. I have no injuries and am feeling good.” He plans to run some track
and field events leading up to the Games. “I also want to focus on some 10km
and 21km races to build up some speed,” he says.

Unsurprisingly, he admits that
he dreams of winning an Olympic medal, but right now his biggest goal is just
making the team and representing South Africa in London on the world’s biggest
sporting stage.

Gary Player, or the
golfing legend better known as The Black Knight, has travelled 25 million
kilometres in 58 years, playing the sport he so passionately loves. Hard to
believe, but Gary initially did not think much of golf. “My father took me out
to a golf course when I was a young man to introduce me to the true gentlemen’s
game. The first thing that came to mind was: ‘This game is for sissies!’ But
once the bug bit, that was it for me. I have lived most of my life in hotels
and motels. It has been an exciting life, but a difficult life too… how I
longed for my family.” Today Gary makes up for all that lost time by spending
as much quality time with his wife, Vivienne, six children and 21 grandchildren,
all of whom he adores.

Gary’s father was a
great inspiration and big influence in his life. He was the one who motivated Gary to create a brand for himself, while Gary’s son Marc also helped improve his brand
dramatically. His nickname Black Knight was inspired by a television programme
called Have Gun Will Travel. Gary was intrigued with the show, which was
about a man dressed in black who helped a lot of people. This inspired Gary to
wear black at most of his tournaments. Soon enough the media named him The
Black Knight and the name stuck. Today his son Marc keeps Black Knight
International running, with Gary Player
Design, Player Real Estate and Black Knight Enterprises all part of a company
that does licensing, events, publishing, wine, apparel and memorabilia
throughout the world.

EARLY YEARS

Gary won his first
golf tournament in Benoni in 1953, at the age of 18. “My father was waiting for
me at the 18^th green to see my victory. Here was a 6 foot 2 inch man
crying like a puppy! My father was not a wealthy man, and to see his son
winning and becoming a possible champion was an emotional moment in his life.”

Gary is one of only
five golfers, and the only non-American, to have completed a Career Grand Slam by
winning all four Majors tournaments, the Masters, US Open and PGA Championship
in the USA, and the Open Championship (British Open) in the UK. He is also the
only golfer to complete a Career Grand Slam on the regular and Senior tours. “The
Senior Tour was way harder as I took part in it after the age of 50 and needed
to be highly disciplined with my training and nutrition regime to be at the top
of my game. One thing is for sure, I was the fittest senior,” chuckles Gary,
who has nine Majors to
his name and has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six decades. He was
inducted into the World Golf Hall of
Fame in 1974.

Golf is a tough
sport and Gary says it has taught him many lessons over the years. For example,
if you arrive late for a game you get a two-shot penalty. “But golf has also
taught me a lot about life, to respect people as I respect my opponents, and
most of all to have patience. I had school colours in rugby, cricket and
athletics, so I know what sport is about, but no other game has taught me as
much about life as golf has. It’s a true test of dedication, hard work and
patience.”

LIFE TODAY

Gary is not only an excellent golfer,
but also a successful businessman. He believes it is important to surround
himself with capable people to assist him. He is especially passionate about
his racehorse farm in the Karoo, and is not afraid to get his hands dirty while
spending time there. He has built an amazing set-up for his thoroughbred breeding
operation and takes pride in his well-bred stock and beautiful stud farm. He
says the Karoo remains his favourite place in the world.

He is also famous for designing
world renowned golf courses and the most recent course he completed is the
captivating Saadiyat Beach course on the beachfront in Abu Dhabi. This course
was recognised as the “Best Golf Course” in the Middle
East & Africa at the 2010 CNBC Property Awards. Gary’s favourite designs
are the Gary Player
Country Club, The Links, Leopard Creek and Blair Athol. Another favourite to
play is Augusta in the USA, where the Masters takes place.

Gary also does a lot of work amongst
the underprivileged youth and has raised vast amounts of money around the world
that has been used to improve the lives of thousands of people. His lifestyle
and commitment has been an inspiration to many young sportsmen, and he still
travels all over the world working on his charities, but admits that at the age
of 76 it is starting to tell on him.

FITNESS AND NUTRITION

Gary says the recipe to his success
and being at the top of his game for so long was a mixture of his exercise
regime, hard work, belief in himself, having good faith, a great wife, family
and friends, sleeping well and having a good sense of humour. “Above all, I
never gave up!”

“Before my brother went to war at
the age of 17, he told me to never stop exercising, and that’s basically what I
did, and am planning to do the rest of my life. I will never stop working. You
don’t retire, you simply work less.” Today, Gary still believes in healthy
living. He does 1 000 sit-ups four times a week and spends his time running on
a treadmill, alternating his running speed. On top of this, he does stretching
and weight training almost every day of the week and says he will beat 80% of
20-year-olds in a fitness competition.

He believes that the key to a
healthy mind and body lies in the way you eat and the amount of exercise you do,
and says that diabetes, cancer and heart attacks are some of the world’s
biggest threats. “Only one out of 5 000 people will do anything about their
health and lifestyle to avoid these fatal diseases. They spend more on their
cars than they do on their bodies!”

WISE WORDS

“Stay away from high-sugar and fatty
foods. Remember, once you are 10 pounds overweight, you are in deep trouble.
What you consume contributes enormously to diseases like diabetes, heart
attacks and cancer. About 80% of athletes today use performance-enhancing
medicines and most of them will be sorry when they get older. When you eat a
well-balanced diet consisting of all the nutrients you need, you do not need to
use any performance enhancers. Unfortunately, we can’t stop this, as the
rewards for excelling are so big.”

Gary rarely eats meat, doesn’t drink
milk, avoids dairy and does not eat bacon. He eats a small amount of butter and
he likes to fill up on carbohydrates. “My only weakness is eating sweets. I eat
sweets four days a week, but I am trying to cut down!” He also feels people eat
far too much protein, and says it would be far better to eat a plant-based diet
as far as possible. Depending on his travelling schedule, he tries to have
juiced green vegetables every day as he believes that this is one of the great
secrets of good health and that the next big advances in athletic performance will
be dietary.

LOOKING AHEAD

When asked if he had one wish for
South Africa his response is: “A crime-free country, employment and a good
education for all, mutual respect and tolerance for each other, and unity
amongst us all. And we need to work together to eradicate AIDS in our wonderful
country.”