Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 124, November 2019

THE RUNNING MANN a lovely article. The only thing you omitted is that he is the best Dad ever.” I’ve also noted the unbridled love, respect and esteem with which Michele and Karen hold their dad in comments they’ve made online. When I’m 84, I doubt I’ll still be running marathons, but if my two daughters hold me in the same esteem as Caspar’s daughters do, then I know I’ll have won at life. Caspar is an athlete without peer, a true gentleman both on the road and off. However, there is some good news for any up-and-coming 79-year-old runners looking for a category win at next year’s Tony Viljoen Masters: Caspar is moving up a division on 13 February and will be fighting it out, almost certainly alone, in the 85-89 category, thereby freeing up line honour glory in the younger category! Ryan started running at the age of 19, as he “needed an outlet from the excessive bullying that affected me from a young age.” He lists his dad as his biggest inspiration and followed in his father’s footsteps, quite literally, by also earning a permanent number at the Buffalo Marathon, with 10 consecutive finishes. Ryan also credits his wife, Margaux, for all the support and encouragement she provides. (She was looking after their sick baby whilst Ryan took the easy option, escaping a nasty bout of puerile projectile vomiting, to run the Tony Viljoen.) He also highlights that, “None of my achievements would have been possible without the Lord my God. We have walked a long road together and he has blessed me and kept me safe on my many journeys.” One of the Guys... Ryan needs to wear specially built up shoes, which can be expensive, since he goes through at least five pairs during a Comrades year, with the built-up shoe wearing down quickly under increased mileage. His unique running style also means that he is more prone to tendinitis and bruising. Still, he insists his achievements are nothing special and that he doesn’t need any special treatment. “A lot of people looked at me with an incredible amount of sympathy, which I couldn’t quite understand, because I always saw myself as equal to anybody else in terms of my ability.” Specially built-up shoes cater for Ryan’s unique running style However, there is one thing that does bring out the emotion in Ryan (and provides this inspirational runner with his own inspiration): Watching and supporting his good friend Ernest de La Querra conquer this year’s Washie 100 miler. “That brought tears to my eyes and filled my heart with pride,” he says. As for his own words of advice for runners – and those who think they can’t complete a marathon – he says, “You have the power to turn a dream into reality, and you can inspire others. And when others ridicule you and call you names, know in your heart that you can change your stars. Self-belief is an incredible thing!” Easy Sunday morning running in the Eastern Cape On the drive to the start, Jeremy mentioned something about Ryan “having a unique running style because of his different sized legs.” I wasn’t sure whether Jeremy was ‘pulling my leg’ until I caught up to Ryan late in the race and noticed his rather unique running style. Ryan was born with Familial Spastic Paraplegia, resulting in one of his legs being 2cm shorter than the other. Incredibly, this has not held him back, and the Tony Viljoen Masters was his 34 th marathon finish. He also has three Comrades and a brace of Two Oceans ultra-marathons to his credit – and Ryan is probably the only person who enjoys the camber along Rhodes Drive at Two Oceans! Ryan and a Born2Run club mate finishing the Tony Viljoen Masters Marathon “I’m happy to go on record that this is the easiest marathon course I’ve run.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This is a reworked version of some of Stuart’s blogs, which usually focus on his adventures (and sometimes misadventures) while running marathons and ultra-marathons all over South Africa, and occasionally in other countries. He recently fulfilled a lifetime goal of securing a shoe sponsorship from The Sweatshop branch in Broadacres (and a running kit sponsorship from Runderwear), thus allowing him to run more races and share their stories. You can read his original blogs at http://runningmann.co.za, and follow him on social media @runningmann100. 18 ISSUE 124 NOVEMBER 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za Guest, Ryan’s Inspirational Lurch

Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 124, November 2019 | Page 18