Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 120, July 2019 | Page 22

Uplifted and Inspired
All these amazing performances by our athletes have lifted the spirits of this
country more than any silver-tongued politician ever could. If there is one thing
that watching runners has taught me, it is that we can achieve great things if we
are willing to put in the work, when nobody is looking, without any fanfare and
no cameras rolling. No excuses about absent team mates or broken equipment.
Because you can run anywhere, and at almost any time (if you are careful, or in a
group). You can even run in the most horrible weather known to man.
PJ’S PIECE
By PJ Moses
One Can
Inspire Many
We all have different journeys to undertake, and sometimes the first step is the
hardest, but once you take that first step, you need to take another, and another,
and then many more. It won’t be easy, and many times it will be far from pretty,
but the benefits of a healthy running lifestyle far outweigh the initial discomfort or
pain you have to go through while on this path. Runners are a lucky and blessed
lot, even though many of us don’t see the blessings while instead focusing on the
shortcomings or the failings of our sport. But I try never to see a glass half empty or
half full, I choose to drink whatever is in the glass and then ask for a refill!
So keep moving. It doesn’t matter if you fall back, or fall down. If you just keep
moving, you will become stronger with each step. Keep your smile fixed and do the
little things right, just as Gerda does. Take inspiration, motivation and advice from
those who have done it before, and as you learn from them, let others learn from
you, because the more we encourage each other, the better this whole experience
called life will be.
The performances of our athletes continue to show us, over
and over, just how much running can inspire, educate and
encourage us, and make a better life for ourselves and those
around us.
W
e are in a time when South African sport teams seem to be struggling
to inspire our nation. The soccer has not hit a high since we all danced
in the corner with Simphiwe Tshabalala and Bafana in 2010. Cricket has
always had its successful moments in the test arena, but when it comes to one-day
games, we as the supporters are often left with broken hearts. And the less said
about what is expected of the current Springboks, the better, because it seems the
All Blacks will just pick up where they left off at the last Rugby World Cup. It has
been a tough few of years for the South African sports fan… if team sport is your
thing, that is.
If you love the individual contests, however, especially on the athletics track, or
in the world of road running, trail running or triathlon, then you know that South
African sporting currency is at an all-time high right now. We collectively cheered,
cried and danced a happy dance when Wayde, Caster and Luvo took the world
by storm at the Olympics or World Champs, with Akani and many others coming
together as a strong supporting cast for our world-beating champions.
Our Road Warriors
Watching Gerda first win the Two Oceans Marathon for a second time, and then
smash the Comrades Up Run record, was like seeing Joel Stransky kick that World
Cup-winning drop-goal. You knew it was special, but you also thought it was a
dream. Seeing her smile broadly and dance a jig on the finish line, and even throw
her rubbish in the bin while beating all-comers, has been such a boost to our
national collective, that we are all on cloud nine. Gerda’s win will be talked about
for years to come, just like the Springbok victory in 95 or the AFCON win by Bafana
in 96.
Now if that does not inspire you, then I don’t know what will. Even I was tempted
to contemplate a return to KZN for another bite at that cherry, in spite of having
promised myself that I would never put my body through the agony of another
Comrades!
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ISSUE 120 JULY 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: PJ is a former Cape Flats gangster who took up
running, and writing about it, when he turned his back on that dangerous
lifestyle in order to set a better example for his two sons. Today he is an
accomplished runner, from short distances to ultra-marathons, recently began
working in running retail, and his exceptional writing talent has opened still
more doors in his new life.
But SA is a country of road runners. It is our national pastime, like baseball in
the US, and the Comrades Marathon is our equivalent of the World Series. So,
after Caroline broke the foreign hold on the women’s title, we were crushed when
Camille ran to victory in 2017. We cheered and congratulated her, of course, but it
hurt, so when Ann came storming home last year, we were over the moon with joy.
But this year we witnessed something extraordinary… and we found a new queen
of SA ultra-running.