ROAD RUNNING
Golden Racing Opportunity
On race day , when my uncle and I arrived at Green Point Athletic Stadium , it dawned on me that now I can ’ t back out . I spotted some of the elite runners , including Irvette van Zyl , Charne Bosman , Jenna Challenor , Adele Broodryk , Kyla Jacobs , Tadu Nare , Helalia Johannes , Kesa Molotsane and Glenrose Xaba , to name a few . These are my idols , and now I would be lining up a couple of metres behind them .
As the National Anthem was sung , I remembered the words Mr Johan once told me : “ Life consists of ebbs and flows – some days you feel on top of the world , while other days you wish the earth would swallow you up . No matter where you are on that tidal wave known as life , know that you are special , not only to me , but to your family , teachers and friends .” My mantra was now set for the race , no matter how I did on the day , because I know that one performance doesn ’ t determine the outcome of my life .
I began the race faster than planned , but thought I had nothing to lose and just soldiered on . The weather was perfect , while the route was flat , and most importantly of all , also beautiful . At the halfway mark , it felt like time stood still momentarily when I heard my uncle chanting , “ Go , go , go !” and all I wanted to do was shout back , “ Look , Zola is running in front of me !” A sizeable gap was growing between Zola and I , but her words of encouragement earlier on as she passed me made me go even harder .
At the 7km mark , I spotted a fellow junior runner ahead of me and passed her , not knowing that this made the difference between third and fourth junior position . I just kept my eyes fixed ahead of me , and never did the thought of tiredness or giving up cross my mind . The gap between myself and Zola shrunk considerably and I finished the race in 42:26 , once again outside my personal best time , but I had never had so much fun in a 10km race in my
Life and running lessons learnt , ready to run as a senior in 2023 life . The running community is phenomenal when it comes to support – whether you ’ re first or last , someone will always be there to shout a message of encouragement , making you feel like a winner . I am a firm believer that if more people ran , the world would be a much better place !
Tests and Life Lessons
On reflection of my journey thus far , I feel that everything happened at the right place , at the right time . I had to go through all of those tests to become who I am today , even those that drove me to tears , like all the times I cried because of bullies . Like the tests that left me in a daze , questioning life … including why COVID had to steal Mr Johan away from me . Or the tests that kept me up at night and drove me to paranoia , with voices in my head telling me I am not good enough . The survival tests , whether I could adapt to a new distance on the road , and the practical life tests , where I am forced to be outside myself and listen to my feet pounding on the road .
I had to pass all of these life tests to be where I am now . These tests allowed me to evaluate my deeper self , and realise that I should have more faith in myself . They embedded valuable knowledge on how to be humbled by the lessons I have learned , but also to celebrate the victories . For example , the tiny celebrations after breaking my personal best by mere seconds had an impact on my ultimate growth , as did the bigger victories , such as standing on the podium for the first time in my life .
I have a smile on my face now , but when I suffered , I couldn ’ t see the light and happiness surrounding me . I remained silent , and ashamed of my thoughts and actions . I didn ’ t understand these tests that pushed me outside my comfort zones . Now I finally know that these tests have helped me to put on my big girl pants , and to be ready for 2023 , when I will be running as a senior runner . I had to learn to get past the insecurities that won ’ t allow me to evolve as a runner .
Focused on the finish line and chasing personal bests
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