WALK THIS WAY
walk this way by ZELDA BOTHA
A Journey Worth a Thousand Steps
We all know the path we have chosen . In the past few months , I have really started to see that each person has their own journey , and their own battles , and each of us survives the only way we know how .
In 2011 , aged 19 , I moved to Durban with nothing more than what an old 1996 Ford Meteor could hold . No job lined up , and no house , just a racewalking dream in my heart that this was where I needed to be . In one of my many bags , I had two pages torn out of the People ’ s Magazine , an article about Olympic racewalker Marc Mundell . I didn ’ t know him , or where I might find him , I just knew that it would be Durban . However , the stresses of adulthood soon made me push aside the racewalking dream and just focus on survival . Many nights , all I could afford for dinner was a bowl of Pronutro , and some days I was lucky if I had an apple for lunch , but this didn ’ t bother me . I was determined to make a success .
Two years later , I was lucky enough to get a job at an insurance company , and my boss had a client who was apparently a racewalker . One day , he walked past my desk , handed me R200 and a piece of paper with a number on it . Call him , he said . Long story short , I phoned the number and made contact with coach Oliver Mundell , father of Olympian Marc ! I was invited down to the Kings Park track for training , and there I met two incredible women , Sharon Fuchs and Jeanine Le Febour . They picked me up for training sessions , drove me to races , and made sure I was living up to my potential . At the time I had no car , and my salary just enough to cover food , rent and taxi money to work , so this support system was exactly what I needed . We spent endless days training together , racing for PDAC , and going to provincial and national racewalking champs together .
By 2015 I was still having some financial difficulties , so I moved into the home with Oliver and his late wife , Priz . Besides coaching me , they looked after and cooked for me , and showed me that I was worth giving a chance to . I really got into a training schedule and the racewalking PBs starting flying in . Not long
64
Pictured with Oliver and Priz
ISSUE 154 | www . modernathlete . co . za Mundell
Zelda with Marc Mundell
after that , I met Natalie Le Roux . At first , I was a bit weary of the new walking talent in town , but soon came to realise that she would become my best friend .
Taking on the Challenges
In racewalking , just as in life , we have a journey , and in mine there were many ups and downs . I struggled financially , I was working three jobs and waking up at 4:30am to get my training in , but I always took pride in my walking career , as I knew it was the only way I was going to make a better life for myself . Imagine , at the age of 21 , working just to survive , and not knowing what it was like to be a full-time student or athlete . But I look back and think , “ Wow , that girl was tough .” It is the 19-yearold Zelda that still inspires the Zelda of today , with her grit , determination and a never-giveup attitude .
I ’ m not telling you this story for pity , or glory . I ’ m telling you that it took me years and years to become
Training buddies Sharon Fuchs ( left ) and Jeanine Le Febour ( right )
the South African Senior Champion in 2021 . It wasn ’ t just as easy as training and racing . It was injuries , financial disappointments , lack of training , lack of sleep , and lack of time to train . It was also kilometres and kilometres of trying , searching for motivation from within , and sometimes endless tears . It wasn ’ t one year , or one day , when everything just clicked . It took each day to wake up , motivate myself , inspire myself , and go out and chase my dreams .
It was recently that I heard from one of SA ’ s young juniors , Janice Nel , how she inspires herself . She said , “ Don ’ t limit your challenges , challenge your limits .” Wise words for such a young lady , but given what she ’ s accomplished already , I see no barrier she won ’ t break in her career , and really soon , too . It is her words that motivated me to tell you my story , because it ’ s irrelevant what other people do or think , in the end it all comes down to how badly you want it and how much you would give to get it . Like me , Janice has never backed down from a challenge , and neither should you .
Inspired by junior walker Janice Nel
About the Author
Zelda Botha ( née Schultz ) won the 2019 SA 20km Road Race Walking title and the 2021 SA Track & Field Champs title , and she represented SA at the 2018 African Champs in Nigeria . She balances training and competing in racewalking with a full-time job as ar surgical sales representative , and being married to top obstacle racer Armin Botha .
Images : Courtesy Zelda Botha