“ We can do a nice , neat , and tidy amputation , and you can live that active lifestyle that you want .” That ’ s what Erin Lazarus ’ doctor told her . Casual , right ? Like he was offering a trim at the salon . Our Roving Cow Rich Laskey got to chat to the inspirational Erin Lazarus on a run of course .
Fast forward to a warm , laughter-filled morning where a bunch of us gathered for a social 5 / 10km run to celebrate Stompy ’ s birthday . And that ’ s how I met Erin . Let me tell you , she ’ s the kind of person whose energy lights up a room - or in this case , the whole road . Vivacious , bubbly , and magnetic , Erin is one of those rare souls who leave you feeling brighter just by being around her .
So , who or what is Stompy , you ask ? Well , I didn ’ t hog all her attention on the run ( tempting as it was ), but I did learn that Stompy is Erin ’ s prosthetic leg . Yep , her left leg to be exact , and the very reason she ’ s running ( pun intended ) toward life with renewed vigor and joy . Every year , on January 15th , Erin , her family , and friends come together to celebrate the day Stompy entered her life - like a “ prosthetic-iversary .”
For Erin , Stompy represents something big : the mindset of “ Just get up and do it . You ’ ve got nothing to lose . Who cares what you look like in the process ?” She knows so many of us get caught up worrying about how we look running - or worse , whether we ’ ll survive the first five minutes ! Erin ’ s philosophy is simple : take that first step . One blade ( or shoe ) in front of the other .
During our run , she shared the backstory - endless doctor visits that led to the decision to amputate . Erin has an auto immune disease called Lupus . Her particular Lupus attacks her blood cells , vessels and kidneys and led to her developing vasculitis in her left foot , which ultimately led to the amputation . Her doc laid it out bluntly : “ We can do a nice , neat , and tidy amputation , and you can live that active lifestyle you
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want .” And while that sounds like a strange sales pitch , it turns out he was right .
Erin comes from running royalty - her dad , Mark , has a whopping 28 Comrades Marathon medals to his name . No pressure , right ? But Erin ’ s doing more than just keeping up ; she ’ s crushing it . The father-daughter duo has already ticked off two half marathons together - The OUTsurance Gun Run and Johnson Crane - and next up is the Balwin Marathon Series , where they ’ ll tackle the 21km . Oh , and in case you thought they would stop there , think again . Erin and Mark are gearing up for the London Marathon . Yep , one of the biggest races in the world . What a way to make your full marathon debut !
Cheering her on every step of the way are her mom Marilyn , sister Jenna , and her boyfriend Reade . Oh , and did I mention she balances all this with her day job as a Forex Dealer at Investec Business ? Erin ’ s life motto should be : “ Why walk when you can run ?”
So , if you see her on the road at the Balwin Marathon Series in Jeppe , give her a high five or a cheer . In the meantime Erin , keep enjoying those 50 % off pedicures ( hey , the benefits of having just one foot to pamper !) and keep smashing one blade in front of one shoe at a time .
Happy birthday , Stompy !
You can watch and listen to the full interview by clicking the link below :
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Here are ways to contact Erin , as well as handles for those that both support and inspire her journey : erin . lazarus @ gmail . com Instagram : erin _ lazarus Facebook : Erin Lazarus TikTok : erin _ lazarus Lupus organization : lupus _ uk Prosthetics : ossurza Prosthetists : gma _ op Biokeneticists : adjust _ ability My inspirations : @ turbo _ trav @ millypickles @ phantom _ toes
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