WALK THIS WAY walk this way by ZELDA BOTHA
My World of Racewalking
Many of you will recognize me by my excited voice on race day , or by my loud cheering next to the track . My passion for racewalking is no secret , and I use every opportunity to share it with friends and fellow athletes .
Growing up I always wanted to be an athlete , no matter the discipline , and no matter the hours of work it required . As long as it wanted me , I wanted it . However , I never seemed to be any good at any of the athletics items I tried to master . I tried the 100m , 1500m , high jump , long jump and even javelin . My dad always tried to encourage me to keep going , but it just didn ’ t work out for me .
Meanwhile , my talented sister took up racewalking in high school and I was ‘ politely dragged along ’ to all her races . One early morning at Coetzenberg Athletics Stadium in Stellenbosch , my sister gave me her Boland jacket to hold while she was racing . Something about putting on a provincial jacket triggered a passion in me , and that has stayed with me to this day . And what started out with a bet between two sisters , ended up becoming the main thing I have dreamed about for the last 17 years . It ’ s been no straight line to success for me , however . I have had to overcome obstacles and work extremely hard to make this wonderful sport a part of my life .
I won my first major championship in 2009 at the South African National Schools Championships . This is also where I met Olympic racewalker Anel Oosthuizen for the first time , and roomed with very talented Olympic runner , Dominique Scott- Efurd . In my first year after school , however , I tore all the ligaments in my right ankle , which led me to decide to step away from racewalking for a year . Little did I know that one year would become four , and that a break from track would literally leave my life off track .
The Road Back …
Fast-forward to today , and I am grateful and humbled that I found my way back to racewalking in 2013 . Through the help of Olympian Marc Mundell and his dad , Oliver , I managed to continue working towards my dream . We had many fights getting me up at 5am for a training session , and many discussions about the future over coffee and an ice bath in their swimming pool .
Being a full-time working athlete , it took me much longer than the average athlete to reach my goals – eight years , to be exact – but I was crowned South African senior national champ for the very first time this year , walking a 20km personal best time of 1:35:47 and qualifying for just my second senior national team , at the ripe ‘ old age ’ of 29 . It ’ s been an incredible journey , and I have found that there is no roadmap or google maps directions on the road to success . I ’ m just glad that I never hung up my shoes , and that I never gave up on my dreams , just kept working harder .
My attitude now is that of positivity . I think positive , I dream positive dreams , and I motivate myself by emphasising what I want to achieve . I recently teamed up with 2012 Olympic bronze medallist and 2013 World Champion , Rob Heffernan of Ireland as my coach , and I have started seeing the results of a positive mindset . Rob has a phenomenal way of working with me mentally , and this has shown in my results during the 2021 season , with PBs at 5km , 10km and 20km , and the fastest 20km ever walked by a woman on SA soil .
Looking Ahead
I was selected to represent South Africa at the 2021 African Champs in Nigeria , but the host country cancelled the meet due to COVID , I lost my last chance to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo . The goals for 2022 are still to be discussed , but I am working towards some serious green and gold participation , as next year ’ s international calendar includes the World Race Walking Cup in April in Minsk , Belarus . Meanwhile , I am just excited to start representing the Potch Track Club in local road and track races , as events start coming back .
I am currently in a rest and recovery phase of my training programme , and thus able to do some travelling around SA , eat copious amounts of ice cream , and do some writing . In coming columns , I plan to share some of my experiences and knowledge gained , as well as information about racewalking technicalities . Also , I am currently supported by a racewalking shoe brand called Newfeel , along with sports gear from Decathlon South Africa and Thick Skin Equipment , and I am looking forward to sharing some insights into what I find works best for me as a walker . But most importantly , whether you are thrilled by speed or enchanted by endurance , I hope to show you that racewalking can become your passion , too .
About the Author
Zelda Botha ( née Schultz ) won the 2019 SA 20km Road Race Walking title and the 2021 SA Track & Field Champs title , and she represented SA at the 2018 African Champs in Nigeria . She balances training and competing in racewalking with a full-time job as a surgical sales representative , and being married to top obstacle racer Armin Botha .
Images : Courtesy Zelda Schultz
The training in 2021 has brought great results
Off-season rest phase and time to travel with hubby Armin
52 ISSUE 144 AUGUST 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za
Looking forward to the 2022 season !