Our Modern Athlete Brand Ambassador ’ s Blog
KALMER ’ S
CORNER kalmer ’ s corner
by RENÉ KALMER
Olympic Fun & Games
Every four years ( well , five years this time around ), we get to witness the world ’ s best athletes competing on the ultimate sporting stage . I am a huge fan of the Olympic Games , and this year was extra special watching it and experiencing it with my four-year-old daughter , Karli . The one advantage of the Games being postponed by a year was that Karli is not only a year older , but also wiser .
enjoyed most of the sport , but took particular pleasure in watching our 46-year-old South African skateboarder , Dallas Oberholzer , in action . I think it has given Andre hope that he can still make his Olympic debut in the future …
Running Highlights
My personal favourite moment was watching Laura Muir of Great Britain winning the silver medal in the women ’ s 1500m in a blistering time and new British record of 3:54:50 . Laura had made the final in the last four global championships , finishing fifth , seventh , fourth and fifth again , and after missing out on a medal so many times before , it was great seeing her on probably the most important podium in athletics .
The Olympics will always hold a place in my heart
In the lead-up to the Olympics , mom and daughter did not miss any of the action of the Diamond League series . Then when the Olympic opening ceremony started , the world map she got for her birthday earlier this year came in handy as we pinpointed every country with their flag on the map . Karli found it hilarious that there is a country named Hungary , thinking they always needed food . She also learnt that the five Olympic Rings represent the five continents .
We followed the Tokyo 2020 Games from the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony , and everything in-between . For two weeks , she did not ask once to watch her favourite stories like Blaze and the Monster Machines , or Paw Patrol . She did find the Equestrian a bit boring , though . Not quite to her liking .
Family Favourites
When it came to the athletics , Karli ’ s favourite events were definitely the pole vault and high jump . She is convinced that one day she is going to be a pole-vaulter , and even did some training in our garden with a pool noodle as pole and a blow-up mattress !
Another favourite was staying awake to watch the women ’ s marathon , and seeing Gerda Steyn finish in 15th position in very tough conditions in Sapporo . Peres Jepchirchir from Kenya won the race in 2:27:20 , followed by teammate and world marathon record holder , Brigid Kosgei in 2:27:36 , but what a run by Molly Seidel from the US ! She surprised everyone by finishing third in 2:27:46 , in just her third marathon ever . Molly was in a tight battle for the bronze medal with Israel ’ s Lonah Salpeter , but with less than 4km to go , Lonah suddenly stopped running . Huge respect to her , though , as she found the courage to still finish the marathon in 66th place .
Domo Arigatou , Tokyo
Watching the Olympics with Karli also brought back memories of 1992 , when the Kalmer family all watched South Africa ’ s return to the international arena at the Barcelona Olympics , and cheered like crazy seeing Elana Meyer famously running with Ethiopia ’ s Derartu Tulu around the track with the SA flag draped around her shoulders after winning the silver medal in the 10,000m .
Thank you to Tokyo for hosting the 2020ne spectacle , in spite of major challenges ! More than ever , the world needed hope and positive energy , and with a whole lot of highlights , Olympic Records and even some World Records , I am sure you will agree that we were not disappointed .
Karli can tell you that Olympic Burnout is real !
Her favourite track stars were American Emma Coburn in the women ’ s steeplechase and Canadian Andre De Grasse in the men ’ s sprints . I think Emma ’ s long blonde Barbie ponytail made an everlasting impression , and Andre is probably a favourite because he shares the same name as her dad . The Canadian speedster was crowned the Olympic Champion in the 200m and runner-up in the 100m final , but Emma , who was a strong medal contender , unfortunately went back home heart-broken , with a DQ behind her name .
Karli ’ s baby brother , Ivan , was our 4am alarm to wake up to witness Tatjana ’ s silver medal performance in the 100m breaststroke , followed by her gold medal and World Record-breaking performance in the 200m breaststroke . Karli was so inspired that she renamed her pet toy cat to “ Tati .” Meanwhile , husband Andre
14 ISSUE 144 AUGUST 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za
Andre has begun training for his Olympic debut in 2024
About the Author
René Kalmer is a two-time Olympian , having represented SA in the 1500m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and in the marathon at the 2012 London Games . She has also won more than 40 SA titles in track , road and cross country at youth , junior and senior level , in distances from 800m to the half marathon .
Images : Courtesy René Kalmer