TRAIL RUNNING
Proud of You , Partner By Marisa Calvert
Marisa and Jéan after day one
My THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN partner , Jéan … Words fail me when it comes to this woman . She is a woman of absolute strength , who shows perseverance , and dedication , who lives authentically , who cares so deeply for others , approaches life with such gentleness , and despite all her adversaries , will still cheer you on .
She went into AFRICANX for the love of it . It was a gruelling 74km that awaited us , but not once did she complain . There were struggles , but “ we move ” was our motto . Thank you for sharing a part of your life with me , but also sharing this weekend with the AFRICANX squad .
Jéan , nobody is more deserving than you of the Sanet Wentzel Spirit Award . I am so proud of you , partner .
Table Mountain , and she says she wasn ’ t sure if she was going to be able to line up in March , but she also knew that if she did start the event , she would finish it . “ On day one , I blocked out the pain of the ankle and simply enjoyed the vibe and being part of the team with Marisa . She brought the ‘ gees ’ in Team Benoude Boude , and we had a great understanding ,” says Jéan , but the going was still to get a lot tougher .
“ On day two , I felt chafing on my feet , but didn ’ t complain and pushed on . However , by the time we were close to water point two , I had a moment where I felt I couldn ’ t continue . I wanted to make it to the water point and then decide whether to bail or not . At 18 kays we saw the ER van , so I stopped and asked the medics to check my feet , as I was in extreme pain . I didn ’ t know how many blisters I had , but I knew I had them !”
Determined to Finish
It turned out that Jéan had blisters on nearly all her toes , and it took the combined effort of four medics to treat them all and get her running again . “ I jumped into the ambulance , and when they removed my socks , they found blisters on eight of my toes . I asked Elliot and Chris , and the other two medics , to pop and strap them all , and off I went again . Shout out to Marisa for patiently waiting at the ER van - # teamspirit # leavenorunnerbehind . At that point , I was determined to see this race through , and I ran and walked the rest of that stage on faith and water , in spite of the excruciating pain .”
Then came the awards evening and the surprise of receiving the Sanet Wentzel Spirit Award , and so Jéan lined up for the final stage more determined than ever to make it all the way . “ Day three was a no-brainer – I was going to reach that finish line !” she says , but admits that the crossing of the railways really hit her
Marisa and Jéan during day one hard . “ I have a letter R that I bought at Typo many years ago , which I take with me to events and bring it out at the finish , or when I reach the top of a big climb . For AFRICANX , I decided not to take it this time , but then Reagan sent me a reminder … Remember that I am with you always , Mommy !”
An Opportunity to Say Thank You - By Jéan Payne
All Glory to God for His Mercy and Grace .
To the trail community … ‘ almal is net so lekker !’ Thank you for the new connections , friendship , love , support and great trail tips .
To the entire AFRICANX organising team , the sponsors , Sean Falconer our legendary MC , the kitchen staff , the ER team , people who kept the ‘ gees ’ going … every touchpoint was really , really special . When you have that , you can deal with problems … like blisters !
To my AFRICANX squad , who are ordinary people doing extraordinary things together , you are phenomenal beings and I ’ m grateful to have such amazing friends : William Kayser , Deon Daniels , Alicia Clarke , Nazli Galant .
To my AFRICANX partner , Marisa Calvert , “ we move ” was the tag line and your grit and good vibes helped us tackle those mountains together . May 2022 be a fantastic running year as you set out to achieve your goals . Rooting for you !
To Deon , thank you for capturing the essence of Reagan ’ s story so beautifully . This nomination was a complete surprise , and I can only express deep gratitude in honouring Reagan .
Images : Ashraf Orrie , Chris Hitchcock , Deon Daniels & courtesy Jéan Payne
Jéan says Reagan is always with her
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