Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 150 May 2022 | Page 58

TRAIL RUNNING

The Nomination that Started it All …

Dear AFRICANX Team
Deon Daniels on day three of AFRICANX
It ’ s my great pleasure to nominate Jéan Payne for this year ’ s Sanet Wentzel Spirit Award .
Jéan will line up at AFRICANX for the first time this year , after starting her running journey not too long ago . Getting herself to commit to a journey of wellness took sheer will and determination . Her lining up on the start line at AFRICANX this year is just reward for her dedication to her own wellbeing , and every day I ’ m amazed by her strength , determination and resolve !
Jéan battles daily because of how events have unfolded in her life . She fell pregnant “ young ” and enjoyed very little support other than from her own mother . Despite this , Jéan continued and completed her schooling and immersed herself into raising , as best she could , a young man that would touch many lives wherever he went . Reagan had become her world , her rock , her everything .
Tragedy struck when in 2016 , aged just 14 , Reagan died in a tragic train accident . Jéan ’ s world entirely collapsed . Her rock was no more . And with it went her sense of being . Her sense of self . In that brief moment , she had lost everything . One can only imagine the grief , the pain , the loss , the disorientation .
to a shuffled playlist , Reagan ’ s favourite song started playing , and just then I saw yellow flowers – also his favourite – like the ones I had chosen for his funeral . Later that day , in a journal entry to Reagan , I wrote that we are often so caught up with the rush of life that we tend to miss the seeds and plants growing in the cracks of the dusty road , and this crack in my life is something I will embrace with faith , courage and love as I journey through this life with Reagan in my heart forever .
Eventually Jéan tried her first 10km race , but then lockdown arrived in March 2020 and she had to find creative ways of running , including virtual challenges , but she says she actually started running more regularly . “ I kept going through lockdown , because it helped me think clearer , helped me find work life balance , and I felt healthier . I then decided to try a longer run , and my first half marathon was a virtual one that October – I even planned my own route starting from Hout Bay .”
In 2021 , she and three friends decided to tackle the 13 Peaks Challenge , which was also her first attempt at trail running . “ We did it over five days and got completely lost on day one , but it was an epic adventure , and I became hooked on trail running ,” says Jéan . “ Since then , I am often in the mountains , climbing , because it resonates with me : Struggling on the uphills , enjoying the downhills … it ’ s like life , sometimes you forget the entire journey , and yet every moment matters in the experience of climbing mountains . And in everything I do , I try to live life to the fullest , trying to be a better version of myself , remembering Reagan in everything I do , because his death can ’ t have been in vain .”
Meant To Be There
Early in 2022 , Jéan heard about the AFRICANX and decided to give it a go , but had to make a tough decision just to be able to line up in Grabouw . “ I had never heard of the AFRICANX , and had never done a three-day stage event before , but I had four months to train , so thought I could do it . However , I had also accepted an invite to speak at an event , StoryLab , which is a platform for people to talk about overcoming difficulty and sharing their stories , to ignite hope . Thinking initially that it would be virtual , it actually turned out to be a live event that was planned on the same weekend as AFRICANX . I don ’ t know if it was a voice inside my head , but something told me that I had to do AFRICANX , because there was probably something I had to experience ...”
With AFRICANX being an event for teams , Jéan teamed up with Marisa Calvert , who she had met some six or seven years earlier through a mutual friend and then they had reconnected through running . “ Our connection is deeper than just running together , though , as we both lost a loved one and see the value in everything we do . She is a women of strength and courage , full of energy , with an amazing outlook on life , and we certainly enjoy the banter and fun together .”
The road to AFRICANX also did not go completely smoothly for Jéan . In February , on the sixth anniversary of Reagan ’ s death , she sprained her ankle while running on
As relationships unravelled and life passed her by over the next few years , Jéan somehow managed to get herself to a point where by the time lockdown ( and the added mental strain ) arrived , she pulled herself together , through what I can only call “ balls of steel ,” and embarked on her current journey of fitness and wellness . She took up running ( mostly walking at first ), and by the time lockdown restrictions were eased she discovered her passion lies , very symbolically , in conquering mountains .
Jéan exploring the trails around the Cape
Jéan regularly seeks out new mountains to conquer and has completed the 13 Peaks multi-day challenge , and is looking forward to completing another . AFRICANX is her next mountain to be conquered for now , and I have no doubt it won ’ t be her last . It ’ s my immense honour to nominate her for the Sanet Wentzel Spirit Award .
Deon Daniels
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