ADIDAS RUNNERS
Germiston Running Club , and we competed against other clubs , which I really enjoyed . But with the limited track meets , I started running 10km races , and looking at my times , my friends said I had potential to go further and really compete . This really motivated me , and I decided that I needed to really give running a proper go .
Q : WHAT WERE THE NEXT STEPS TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL ? IM : Realizing that I needed to train properly , I started
researching training methods and nutrition . It wasn ’ t long and I had developed my own 10km training programme , because knowing my body and limits , I was confident in what I was setting myself . I also started studying international runners , especially the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners , watching what they did . After training for a while , I decided , that it was time to test my times and see what improvement there was , when I managed to clock 14 minutes 23 for 5km , I knew I was on the right track .
I decided that I would need more support to run professionally , but I knew it was a tough field to break into , so the best route would be to try one of the big running brands , and when I found the adidas Running app , I realised that this was the best way for me to show what I could do . So , I downloaded the app , joined one of the adidas Runners Cape Town training programmes , and after logging runs with them , other runners asked me if I was a pro ! That made me feel like I could really do this . I easily ran faster than the rest of the crew , so while there wasn ’ t competition for me , the support they gave me made me feel part of their community – something I really needed .
Q : WHAT WAS YOUR BIG BREAK ? IM : My running shoes were wearing out , so I
approached the Cape Town adidas Runner ’ s Captain , Ndyebo Mapekula to see if he could assist . He raised it with adidas directly and after sending them my times for the 5km , 10km and 21km , I got a call from the adidas team saying how impressed they were with my running , and they were giving me the new adizero Pro shoes and kit to help me . It was a real boost for me , and really motivated me to want to achieve more .
Q : WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS GOING FORWARD ? IM : I want to put myself in a position to be selected
to represent South Africa in the marathon at the Paris Olympics in 2024 . I know I have a long way to go , but with the support of adidas Runners , I believe I can get there .
ONE STEP A TIME adidas Runners profile : Mariam Edwards
Being told by doctors that she may never walk again was a moment that changed Mariam ’ s life forever . It ignited a determination in her to take responsibility for her health , and that ’ s how she became one of the most inspirational members of the adidas Runners .
At the age of 45 , Mariam was diagnosed with a spinal condition called Spondylitis , which causes the cushioning between the vertebrae to deteriorate until the vertebrae push against each other . It ’ s a degenerative condition , and there is no way to reverse the damage – then surgery to fuse vertebrae is the only solution . However , Mariam decided to start walking , as she believed that exercise would get her fitter and healthy , hopefully delay the need for surgery .
She joined a senior ’ s club and would walk on a Monday and Wednesday , pushing her wheelchairbound aunt along with her . “ It was her outing for the week , and we both enjoyed it ,” says Mariam , but in 2011 , her spinal condition became unmanageable . “ I had lameness in my arms and legs – I couldn ’ t lift them and would drop whatever I was holding .” Eventually she no choice but to agree to surgery , and her C4 , C5 and C6 vertebrae were fused . “ The recovery was long and painful , and I swore I wouldn ’ t put myself through that again !” she recalls .
A check-up later in the year gave her more bad news : The condition had spread to her lower spine , so the doctors wanted to operate on three different parts of her spine … and they couldn ’ t guarantee she would be able to walk following the procedure . “ I made the seemingly radical decision to say no to my doctors , because I wanted to do whatever I could to stay surgery-free ,” says a determined Mariam .
BITTEN BY THE RUNNING BUG
Having always enjoyed watching running events on television , Mariam says she had always held a burning desire to run a 10km race , and now , in spite of the doctors cautioning her against it , she decided this was what she had to do to take charge of her health . So , with the help of Modality Neural Alignment Therapy , which helped her avoid putting too much pressure on her spine , she began running .
“ My aunt , who had started the journey with me , suggested that I join a local running club in Cape Town , and despite being nervous , I started with a shuffle and the phrase ‘ one foot in front of the other ’ repeating in my head . Tears streamed down my face as I completed my first 5km organised run , and within weeks , I was clocking distances up to 10km , with my family cheering me on at the finish line ,” says Mariam .
Soon Mariam progressed to running races , then moved up to her first half marathon . “ I have now run more than a hundred half marathons , and I also tackled the Cape Town Marathon ,” she says proudly . She finished that marathon six hours 15 minutes , a remarkable achievement for someone who was told she may never walk again , let alone run !
ADDING A NEW FAMILY
Along the way , Mariam came into contact with the adidas Runners Cape Town crew , who welcomed her to join their runs , and eventually she joined them full-time . “ They were incredibly welcoming and encouraged me to keep going , no matter if I was the slowest runner in the group . At adidas Runners , we don ’ t use the word Club , we ’ re a running family , and I love that .”
Unfortunately , in recent years Mariam has had a different health issue that has curtailed her running . “ I had asthma as a child , but it wasn ’ t until my pilgrimage to Mecca that it flared up again .” Since then , she has only been able to do 5km runs , but
Mariam Edwards
says she is just grateful that she can still join her beloved adidas Runners friends . “ I can ’ t even begin to describe the love I get from this group . I ’ m so grateful for them , and how they ’ ve helped my running .”
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