Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 128, March 2020 | Página 6
Have Your SAY
Got something on your mind that you want to share, a burning question you want answered, or a
good story to tell? Then send it to [email protected], and add a pic if you can. Letters
should preferably be no more than 300 words long, and pics must be high-resolution to be usable.
(Note that letters may be shortened due to space limitations.)
SUPER MOTIVATOR STEPMOM
Some people are just born to
inspire and motivate others.
My stepmom, Jacqui Mienie,
is 71-years-young and has
been running since 2011.
She has completed several
21km races and started
training for her first full
marathon at the end of 2019.
Unfortunately, she was
diagnosed with Lymphoma
Cancer in July 2019, but
since then she has been
fighting like a tiger. She
has not received any
chemotherapy, but has rather
opted for alternative healing.
During this process she
has not stopped running,
because she believes her
running is keeping her healthy and in good spirits. I know she has days where
she is exhausted, but I have not seen her give up. She has been so positive,
and has even inspired her friends at the club to run personal bests, instead of
staying behind with her.
Just to add to her journey, she walked her dogs in January 2020 and was
bitten by the neighbour’s husky. Her arm was torn to pieces and she had to
CHEATING SPOTTED IN RACES
I came across something disturbing at the Edenvale Marathon, a cheat taking a
short-cut, and this seems to be very common at double-lap races. The incident I
uncovered is probably one of many, and there are too many cheats getting away
with this. Sadly, this race was a Comrades and Two Oceans qualifier. What’s the
best way to address this? Who do we contact? Hope to hear your thoughts. – Mr
G, Johannesburg
It is always disturbing to see blatant cheating in any sport, even if done by
back-of-pack runners who do not stand to win podium position medals or
prize money, and I believe that all cheating should be reported for proper
investigation, and cheats should be punished appropriately, if proven guilty.
There is no place in sport for cheating, of any kind, be it doping, illegal gear, or
taking shortcuts.
That said, one thing that I am not in favour of is athletes ‘playing policeman’
over fellow athletes. It can all too easily be taken too far, can lead to
unpleasant exchanges mid-race, can become abusive, or can be interpreted
as discriminatory. (On a related note with our #runclean campaign, this is the
reason I have always said that I am against athletes being confronted mid-race
for littering, or publicly named and shamed after the race, by fellow athletes,
versus being reported and then taken to task afterwards.)
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ISSUE 128 MARCH 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za
be rushed to hospital. During her recovery, including a skin graft, the only
question she kept asking the doctor was when she could get back on the
road! He had to take skin from her upper leg and transplant it to her arm. Skin
grafts can be problematic for older patients, as the skin is thinner and the
donor site sometimes fails to heal. The doctor has said that he is surprised at
how quickly she has healed and has given her the go ahead to get back on
the road. He said she has been an inspiration to him, too.
This is only the beginning of her story, and how she continues to inspire so
many other runners. She is still fighting the ‘Big C,’ but she remains positive
and driven, especially with her running. I am so proud of her. We don’t always
understand why things happen to people, but I believe this happened to her,
to remind all of us of how grateful we must be. We are healthy, we can run,
and we should not be complaining about anything if we have that. – Lylanie
Berg, Randburg
They say you’re never
too old to learn, or start,
and I love hearing that
somebody took up running
at the age of 63. Even
better if they love it so
much that they want to
run through whatever
life throws at them, be it
cancer or being attacked
by a dog! I fully agree that
Jacquie is an inspiration
to us all, and especially
in these challenging,
uncertain times, it is
stories like hers that I turn
to for inspiration. – Ed.
Therefore, I think the names, race/licence numbers and clubs of these alleged
cheats should be quietly but officially reported to the organising team and
provincial officials, who should, in turn, investigate the matter further. I also think
the clubs these runners belong to should be informed, as they will no doubt want
to investigate the matter, since it brings their club’s name into disrepute. – Ed.
EDITOR’S PICK