TRAIL
On
Quietly getting on with the job of becoming a top runner .
His Way Up
With the help of a South African trail running legend , Remaketse Lekaka is dreaming of dominating the South African trail running circuit and becoming a world class athlete . –
BY TATHE MSIMANGO
In 2013 , renowned South African trail runner Thabang Madiba made history when he became the first black athlete to represent the nation at the World Trail Long Distance Championships in Poland . However , he almost missed out on the opportunity to wear the green and gold of his country , because the national federation let it be known that it couldn ’ t cover the travelling expenses of the selected athletes , but fortunately , Madiba ’ s trip was made possible through donations from the general public .
Remaketse Lekaka after winning the Wolkberg Trail Run .
That experience , and the generous help he received , stayed with Madiba , eventually motivating him to open a non-profit organisation in 2022 under the name If I Can You Can , with the goal to help talented young , up-and-coming runners to take their careers to the next level , and to inspire them to believe that nothing is impossible if they believe in their goals and put in the hard work . The now 40-year-old former African SkyRun Champion relies mostly on his own sponsor , Salomon , for help with his initiative , and the company supplies him with sports equipment in order to make his project a success .
“ The bigger picture is to help more athletes to realise their dream ,” says Madiba . “ I believe there are many athletes who end up vanishing from the system because they couldn ’ t afford to stay in the sport . That is why I started this programme – in order to help – because I also started my running career without proper shoes , but I still managed to travel across the world . In life , you need someone to uplift you to realise your dreams , and therefore I hope more lives will be changed through this programme ,” says Madiba .
Taking the win at the Magoebas Ultra .
Remaketse and mentor Thabang Madiba finished one-two at the EcoAdventureTrails 25km .
Images : SMacPix & courtesy Wolkberg Trail Run , EcoAdventureTrails , Magoebas Ultra
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