19 BEST OF 2021 Last year we did something new in the mag by choosing our stand-out feature articles from each edition of the year , the Best of 2020 , and publishing them together in the December edition . This year , for the Best of 2021 , the four members of the Modern Athlete team have chosen their personal favourite feature . If you missed them earlier this year , now is your chance to be inspired , and even if you have read some before , we recommended a second read , because these stories will give you a great kickstart for the New Year ’ s running ! ISSUE 143 JULY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za 34 TRAIL RUNNING Call of the Call of the Mountains Mountains Remy Kloos trekking to Everest , marvelling at the sheer beauty of Ama Dablam peak ( 6812m ) 35 TRAIL RUNNING T o reach the summit of Mount Everest , you need to be able to read the weather . The westerly Jet Stream wind is the main concern , as it can have a massive impact on your chances of standing upon the highest point of earth – up there , above 8000m , it can blow so strongly that it sounds like a train , shaking tents violently and reducing visibility to zero , making it impossible to climb the treacherous last pitch of the mountain . This section , from Camp 4 at 8000m to the summit at 8850m , includes the appropriately named Knife Ridge , with the famous Hillary Step in the middle , a route opened during the first successful summit by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 . The thin ridge has sheer drops on either side , and climbers have to watch every step carefully in this dangerous final hurdle to the summit , all while trying to conserve their strength and oxygen for the climb back down in what is usually a 30- hour round trip to get back to Camp 4 . It simply cannot be done unless the weather is perfect for a few days . Thus climbers look out for what they call the “ climbing window ,” watching the weather much further south to see when the Monsoon weather systems start to move north in the Bay of Bengal , heading towards the Himalayan Mountains , which in turn pressures the Jet wind to move north and creates perfect weather on Everest . These windows often only last a few days at a time , and usually only occur a few times in the month of May , which is when all Everest expeditions take place . A Narrow Opportunity There are no guarantees that a window will open , and many climbers have been forced to descend without attempting the final pitch . Even when a window opens , it is still a massive decision to go for the summit or not . Waiting at Camp 4 for a window takes a fearful toll on climbers , as this is what they call the ‘ deathzone ,’ where the body literally begins shutting down , making it even harder to breathe in the rarified air , and most climbers cannot survive long at that altitude without oxygen . Attempting to summit is therefore a physical and mental challenge like no other , and many climbers are forced to turn back when their bodies simply cannot go on . Climbers who do not make it to the summit can go all the way back down to Base Camp at 5400m , to rest and rebuild strength for another trek back up to Camp 4 and another wait for a window , provided there is still enough time before the monsoon season sets in , or their climbing permit runs out . If not , they have to admit defeat and either accept they will not summit Everest , or they need to start planning another expedition to climb the world ’ s highest mountain . The latter option is what 32-year-old Capetonian Remy Kloos will be doing , after the weather put paid to her climbing plans this past May … because she is determined to set two new mountaineering records . “ I wanted to not only summit Everest as part of my attempt to become the youngest South African woman to complete the 7 Summits Challenge , but also wanted to go straight from the top of Everest to summit Lhotse back-to-back as well , because no-one from South Africa has done the double summit . In fact , no South African woman has climbed Lhotse at all ,” says Remy . “ The world of high-altitude mountaineering is starting to shift from primarily a male-dominated sport to represent more female climbers as well . With these records , I wanted to reiterate that gender makes no difference at all . Endurance , skill , strength , faith , teamwork and positivity , this is what truly matters .” In May this year , South African mountaineer and adventurer Remy Kloos was high up on the slopes of Mount Everest , at 8000m above sea level , seemingly within touching distance of the summit of the world ’ s tallest mountain , when she was forced to accept that the expedition had to be abandoned . Although greatly disappointed , she has simply moved the end date of her ultimate goal , to conquer the 7 Summits Challenge , and in the meantime will be using running and hiking to make sure she is ready to tackle the world ’ s highest mountains , whilst at the same time helping to keep at bay the anxiety she has had to cope with since her school days . – BY SEAN FALCONER Images : Bryan Hill & courtesy Remy Kloos Remy stops for a breather in the Khumbu Icefall , on the way up to Camp 1 on Everest 35 Victor , not Victim Call of the Mountains Remarkably , Ntombesintu Mfunzi ’ s third gold medal in the Two Oceans Marathon , in 2017 , came just five months after she was violently raped . In a powerful new book , Yoyisa ( Overcome ), she tells how running helped ease her pain and put her on the road to recovery . ( Published in the February 2021 edition ) Mountaineer Remy Kloos was seemingly within touching distance of the summit of Mount Everest , when she was forced to abandon the climb . Although greatly disappointed , she has simply moved the end date of her ultimate goal , and is running and hiking to make sure she is ready to tackle the world ’ s highest mountains . ( Published in the July 2021 edition ) Chose by Caroline Collings Modern Athlete Graphic Designer Chosen by Sean Falconer Modern Athlete Director & Editor “ I have never had to endure something as horrific as what Ntombesintu went through , but when she speaks of the weight of the world lifting by being out on the road , I can relate to her on a level that I think many of us are familiar with . Our own personal problems sometimes overwhelm us , and we allow them to take up more space in our heads than they deserve , but running shoes give us a wonderful tool to deal with our thoughts . On the road , things swirling around in your mind don ’ t have to be suppressed . You can run hard … you can cry … you can allow yourself to feel angry , sad , happy , or whatever you need to . And all the while you realise that , despite what is happening around you or has happened to you in the past , you are strong and healthy , and have it in you to deal with whatever life throws at you . Knowing that your mind and body are strong enough to carry you through is empowering , and it ’ s a wonderful way to help the world make a little more sense . Running won ’ t necessarily erase your stress , nor sadness or anger , but it will give your mind the reset that it needs to make life more manageable . The strength that Ntombesintu speaks of in her story is so admirable , and I hope it is a strength I would be able to find if ever I needed it .” “ I have been privileged to run in the Himalayan Mountains twice , both times while participating in the Himalayan 100 Mile stage race in India . For much of this race , you run with a stunning view of Mount Kanchenjunga , the world ’ s third-highest mountain , right in front of you , and with the Everest Mastiff group of peaks visible on the horizon , and I can tell you that those 8000m peaks do something to you . It ’ s hard to explain , but the high mountains get into your soul ... Given how much I love the mountains , I was totally enthralled by Remy ’ s story about her bid to become SA ’ s youngest female 7 Summits climber . I was also inspired by her can-do positive outlook , in spite of her heart-breaking near-miss on Everest , and in spite of the problems with anxiety that she has had to deal with . As a result , when it came to writing the article , I felt more motivated and creative than I had in quite some time , and simply loved writing her story . The words just flowed , and it made me realise that the pandemic months have been really draining , because we have had to work much harder than before to keep this magazine going . Telling her story re-energised me , and I hope reading it will do the same for you .” ISSUE 138 FEBRUARY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za 24 ROAD RUNNING Images : Action Photo SA & courtesy Nedbank & Ntombesintu Mfunzi To the perpetrator I am the woman you raped on 12 November 2016 at about 2 o ’ clock in the afternoon . You have no idea how much you have ruined my life . Since that day everything has changed for me . I am trying hard not to let the situation break me down , but it is very tough . This feels like a permanent disease , because it will always be there . It is not reversible . You left me with a scar that will never fade , and years of working to replace what you stole from me that day . You took a part of me . You left an empty space in my heart , which , no matter how hard I try , remains unfilled . It feels like no one and nothing will ever restore what you have stolen from me . When I look at myself in front of the mirror , all I can see is a wound . After the incident , I lost my sexual feelings for more than a year . Even though I would like to move on with my life , I am still scared of being judged . I feel men would judge me once they find out that I was raped , or that they would be with me because they pity me . Yes , life goes on . I do not just sit and cry every day , feeling sorry for myself over what happened , even though you have ruined my life . I am strong enough to rise above all of this hurt . I am strong enough to talk about it , to share – with other victims – the coping mechanism as to how I am dealing with the situation , to ensure that I do not lose my sanity . I still have lots of questions for you . Maybe if you could tell me why you did it and what was on your mind at that time . Beating me up , getting angry at me as you were struggling to penetrate me , and then repeatedly raping me . I still get angry and cry every time I think about it , even now as I write this letter . Do you even consider the pain you caused ? The pain that I felt and what I have been through because of what you did to me is unbearable . But I fought to regain my life . Painful as it is , I did not let it destroy my future , for I told myself , ‘ I am going to rise above it – as a VICTOR , not a victim ’. And that is how I survived and am still surviving – I am an overcomer . I pray that you get the punishment you deserve ; that you will accept it and admit that you did me wrong . I pray you admit that you almost killed me so that we can both move on . I pray that you accept the punishment you will get , just as I accepted that the rape happened , permanently and irreversibly . But life goes on . Ntombi Rape is Real What you have just read is the actual letter I had to write at the advice of my psychologist about two years after I had been raped . It was arguably the hardest letter I ever had to write . Harder , perhaps , Eastern Cape Correctional Services employee Ntombesintu Mfunzi can look back on a highly successful running career , having represented her country numerous times , including at the 2008 World Cross Country Champs and the 2019 World 50km Champs . She ’ s also won four gold medals in the Two Oceans Marathon , as well as won numerous races and Eastern Province Champs titles . Remarkably , her third Two Oceans gold in 2017 came just five months after she was violently raped while on the way to a race in the Eastern Cape . In a powerful new book , Yoyisa ( Overcome ), written by Matshelane Mamabolo , she tells how training and racing helped ease her pain and put her on the road to recovery , and four years later she is not only able to speak openly about her ordeal and counsel other rape victims , but even delivers talks to convicted rapists and sex offenders in prison . Ntombi and Mats have given us permission to print a few extracts from the book here . Victor , not Victim Part 1 : A Letter to my Rapist Nearly home at Comrades 2019 ISSUE 138 FEBRUARY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za 24 25 ROAD RUNNING After the negative HIV test results , I decided to start focusing on my goal of doing well in the 2017 Two Oceans Marathon , which was to better my 8th position finishes from 2012 * and 2014 . I started focusing on my training and I was really giving it my all . The training was also making me feel better . Whenever I went for a run , I would come back feeling a better person . I felt so good and ready for Two Oceans . Prior to the Two Oceans , I went to the Uitenhage Human Rights Race to check my readiness for the Mother City ultra . The race took place on 4 March 2017 – three months , two weeks and six days after I was raped . I ran the 30km race and won with ease in a good time of 1:54:43 . I later discovered that I had run the secondfastest 30km in the country by a woman . Monica Drögemöller held the record with her then 30-year-old time of 1:53:01 . My delight knew no bounds ! I then went to Cape Town for the Two Oceans Marathon in high spirits and confident of doing well . But the Two Oceans is not an easy race , and I had to dig deep to realise my goal . Anything better than eighth place was going to make me happy , and throughout the race , whenever I hit a bad patch , I would remind myself of the target I was chasing . I was with the leading ladies for most of the race and was in fourth place with just a kilometre to go , but Mary Khourie overtook me and beat me by less than 20 seconds . I finished fifth , my best placing at Two Oceans . Mission accomplished . Crossing the finish line , I felt like a new person . It was as though I had gotten rid of the load I was carrying . I felt lighter . And the emotions overwhelmed me so much I cried . The thought that just three months earlier I could have easily lost my life at the hands of a rapist got me to be grateful of the fact I could not only run , but could achieve such a big feat . After drying up my tears , I remember saying , ‘ the devil , you are a liar . You do not have control over my life . You made me a much stronger person . Look at me now , I ’ m a winner .’ It was a great feeling . The Nedbank Sport Video Shoot The story of my rape was becoming common knowledge and Nedbank Sport – for whose running club I am a member – asked if I would be willing to do a photo shoot and video with them to share in their bank branches . I agreed without hesitation . I felt ready to share my story . I wanted to give hope to rape survivors , to make them realise that there is life after rape . After shooting that video , I felt free , and decided I would go on to give motivational talks and avail myself to other survivors who might need help to move on with life . That video shoot planted a motivational speaking seed in me , and I have not looked back since . It also helped me to find a solution for my work situation . It made me realise that I was stuck with the prisoners , that whether I liked it or not , I was an employee of the Correctional Services , and therefore they would always be a part of me so long as I continued working there . I then decided it would be better to build a relationship with them . So , I got involved by delivering motivational talks during their sports events to try make them see and understand what rape victims go through after rape , so that those who are in prison for rape could see the need for change . I was invited to the offender athletics at Kirkwood Correctional Centre , where I decided to donate my running medals , and I wrote a special message on the medal ribbons that said : ‘ I choose to be a Victor , not a Victim .’ After the medal presentation ceremony , I gave a talk , during which I explained why I wrote that message on the ribbons . I could not believe the impact my talk made . Three inmates raised their hands and asked for a time to talk to me . They explained that they were in for sexual offences and promised they would never do it again . Some even said they plan on taking up athletics more seriously and would continue with it upon their release . I could not tell if they were genuine or not . But it felt good to get such a response . It helped me in my healing process , and I wished I could be used by all Correctional Centres in South Africa to do the motivational talks , if only to help sexual offenders understand the impact of their actions on their victims . * I have since discovered that while I finished in eighth position in the 2012 Two Oceans Marathon , I was eventually bumped up to fifth place after some runners were disqualified . Part 2 : Reclaiming My Life than putting this book together . You see , I wrote that letter just as I was beginning to ‘ come to terms ’ with what had happened to me . I felt I was recovering and was already sharing my story and using it to motivate other rape survivors . I was even facing prisoners and helping them realise the kind of damage their actions were inflicting on their rape victims . But then the wheels of justice turned way too slowly and pushed me into a relapse . As it was , that day – when I wrote the letter – I felt they were not turning at all . The courts postponed the date for my case just when I thought I was about to finally see the end of an ordeal that had changed my life forever . The strong woman I thought I had become wilted like a rose . I cried myself to sleep . I could hardly do anything , so much so that I had to be booked off work . The psychologist had no option but to refer me to a psychiatrist . I became depressed . It was as though I was reliving the day of my rape all over again . 12 November 2016 – a day I would never wish even on my worst enemy . We have one copy of Yoyisa to give away to a lucky reader . To stand a chance of winning , send your name and contact details to letters @ modernathlete . co . za . Names will go into a lucky draw to take place 10 March . Ts and Cs apply . WIN To read Ntombesintu ’ s full story , you can order a copy of Yoyisa , selling for R250 , by sending an e-mail to yoyisasales @ gmail . com or you can call / WhatsApp 082 798 8772 . Another gold at Two Oceans Team SA at the World 50km Champs Focused during Two Oceans 25 So , give these wonderful stories a read – they appear on the next few pages , or click on the links on this page to go straight to each article . If you get even a fraction of the inspiration that we did from them , then it will have been time well spent . ISSUE 140 APRIL 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za 12 ROAD RUNNING Three friends from Cape Town tackled a 100km road run on 20 March – further than any of them had ever run before – to raise funds for a deserving non-profit that looks after abandoned babies , and they took their sense of humour on the road with them . We spoke to the intrepid trio of Angelo Adams , Esmund Van Wyk and Merlin Galant before and after their run , and we also have a humorous ‘ race report ’ by Angelo to really take readers along for the run . – BY PJ MOSES Running for Running for the Babies the Babies ISSUE 143 JULY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za 48 MULTISPORT Marathon swimmer , musician and mother-of-three Carina Bruwer recently became the first woman to swim across Walker Bay in the Cape , adding another memorable ‘ first ’ to her already incredible list of swimming achievements . However , this was more than just about setting a record … With musicians and other performers affected badly by the COVID pandemic , with little or no work available and thus no income , she took to the shark-infested bay to raise funds for these struggling artists , and having raised a considerable sum of money , she is ready to tackle more marathon fundraising swims . – BY SEAN FALCONER to Keep the Music Playing Swimming ISSUE 144 AUGUST 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za 16 ROAD RUNNING For many people , heading out to run a half marathon is more than enough exercise for any given day . Most would hesitate before agreeing to run 21km two days in a row , let alone three or four 21km runs in a week . Well , Joburg runner Henry Cock is well on his way to running 133 half marathons on consecutive days in the Mentally Aweh Challenge . He will cover just over 2800km as he makes his way around the South African coastline , from Kosi Bay on the Mozambican border to Vioolsdrift on the Namibian border , and he ’ s doing this not only to set a new Guinness World Record for most consecutive days completing a half marathon , but more importantly to raise funds to promote mental health and ‘ aweh-ness .’ – BY SEAN FALCONER B ack in April 2020 , Henry Cock made the news when he ran the 90km Comrades Marathon distance in his passage at home , during the initial hard lockdown . With the passage measuring just 15 metres , it meant he had to do 6000 laps , and the 34-year-old Joburg Restauranteur did it all barefoot , too . What made the feat all the more impressive is that Henry had very little running background prior to his 90km run – his longest run had been 42km – and he reckons what kept him going was his playlist of music , and the fact that he was running to raise money for his staff . Henry is one of the owners of the 86 Public restaurants in Johannesburg , and says his staff were struggling to make ends meet with all restaurants closed due to lockdown . He therefore decided to tackle an ultra-distance run and ask people to support his BackaBuddy fund set up to help support 20 families that were no longer earning a consistent income . “ I had been training for the MAD2Run charity run from Joburg to Cape Town anyway , and I had a little competition going with a friend who was also doing MAD , where we challenged each other to run the furthest , so I had just recently run a marathon ,” says Henry . “ MAD had just been postponed to October , and I was receiving so many requests from staff for help , so I decided to do a run for them . I began looking Running for Mental Aweh-ness Henry Cock is loving his tour of South Africa as he chases a Guinness World Record and raises aweh-ness ISSUE 145 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 | www . modernathlete . co . za 56 MULTISPORT JUMPING IN AT THE DEEP END Pre-COVID , most weekends would see Mandlenkosi ‘ Mindlo ’ Mdhluli out on the roads , taking part in both road running and road cycling events , often with a pacesetting flag when running . However , when the pandemic forced the cancellation of all the road events , he looked for his racing fix somewhere else . But first he had to learn to swim … – BY SEAN FALCONER A sk a typical road runner or cyclist if he or she feels they could tackle a triathlon , and chances are good they will answer that they feel they ’ ll be fine on the run leg if they can just survive the bike leg , or vice versa , but they are totally freaked out by the open water swim . It ’ s not just that they can ’ t see the bottom once they get into deep water , or that weather conditions can make the swim incredibly unpleasant , perhaps even causing sea-sickness , but the traditional ‘ washing machine ’ at the start , with other swimmers kicking you in the face or swimming over you , sounds like a frightening ordeal . As a result , most road athletes who enter triathlon events tend to either be strong swimmers , or have at least done a fair amount of open water swim training to prepare themselves for a tri event . Seldom will you hear of a tri entrant , let alone an ultra-distance tri entrant , who actually doesn ’ t know how to swim at all … but that ’ s exactly how one would describe Mindlo Mdhluli ’ s situation earlier this year . REGULAR ROAD RACER The 37-year-old , who works as a Finance Manager at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg , is well known in running circles thanks to being one of the people behind the KZN Pacesetters . He regularly runs as a Pacesetter in races up to ultra-marathon distance , mostly in KZN and Gauteng , but also heading down to the Cape from time to time for events such as the Gun Run , Two Oceans and Cape Town Marathon . ( Mindlo lives in Maritzburg for work , but also calls Pretoria home , so spends time in both KZN and Gauteng , and does races in both provinces .) In the last two years he has also become an accomplished road cyclist , and that eventually led to his unusual triathlon debut . “ I decided I wanted to do something different , in addition to running , so I bought myself a road bike . I wanted to start doing cycling races , like the Amashova , Cape Town Cycle Tour and the 94.7 , and for a while I was doing both sports , but then lockdown came and all the races were cancelled . At first , I did some backyard runs to keep active and fit during the hard lockdown , but I soon got bored , and when restrictions were eased , I started running and riding more ,” says Mindlo . “ In March this year , there were still no road running or cycling events happening , but there were some smaller multisport events taking place . I signed up for my first one , at the Tinman Triathlon in Durban on 11 April , but selected to do the duathlon instead of the triathlon , because I did not know how to swim at all . The race went well , and I really enjoyed it , but I decided I wanted to move up to triathlons , and for that I would need to learn to swim , so in April I signed up to learn how . I also entered the Bela Bela 5150 triathlon in Limpopo Province in August , even though I didn ’ t know how to swim yet ! I told myself , if I am registered , it will give me the required motivation to train , and to keep my head screwed on properly .” Mindlo Mdhluli finishes his first triathlon at the Bela Bela 5150 “ In March this year , there were still no road running or cycling events happening , but there were some smaller multisport events taking place . I signed up for my first one , at the Tinman Triathlon in Durban .” Finisherpix , Instapix , Action Photo SA & courtesy Mindlo Mdhluli ISSUE 145 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 | www . modernathlete . co . za 56 Jumping in at the Deep End Running for Mental Aweh-ness Swimming to Keep the Music Playing Running for the Babies Pre-COVID , most weekends would see Mandlenkosi ‘ Mindlo ’ Mdhluli out on the roads , taking part in both running and cycling events , but when the pandemic forced Joburg runner Henry Cock set out to run 133 half marathons on consecutive days in the Mentally Aweh Challenge , not only to set a new Guinness World Record , Marathon swimmer , musician and mother-of-three Carina Bruwer became the first woman to swim across Walker Bay , but this was more than just The intrepid trio of Angelo Adams , Esmund Van Wyk and Merlin Galant tackled a 100km road run – further than any of them had ever run before – to raise funds the cancellation of all road events , he had to learn to swim to find his racing fix elsewhere … ( Published in the September-October 2021 edition ) but more importantly to raise funds for to promote mental health and ‘ aweh-ness .’ ( Published in the August 2021 edition ) about setting a new record , as she took to the shark-infested bay to raise funds for struggling fellow artists . ( Published in the July 2021 edition ) for a non-profit that looks after abandoned babies , and they took their sense of humour with them . ( Published in the April 2021 edition )