ADVERTORIAL
Remember My Name …
adidas is thrilled to announce the release of the third episode of its original docu-series , “ Remember My Name ,” featuring Gerda Steyn . This five-part series delves into the narratives of five distinguished female athletes , not only commemorating their remarkable accomplishments as South African athletes in their respective disciplines , but also shedding light on the challenges faced by women in sports .
Images : Courtesy adidas
The golden girl of South African road running , Gerda Steyn , a marathon and ultramarathon specialist who only started running relatively late at the age of 24 . Now 33 , she has developed into an exceptional athlete , and her list of achievements makes her one of the greatest all-time female athletes produced by South Africa :
• 2018 – Won the Two Oceans Marathon in 3:39:32 , finished second at Comrades in 6:15:34 , and was 13th at the New York Marathon in a personal best 2:31:04 .
• 2019 – Won both Two Oceans and Comrades , becoming just the fourth woman to do this ‘ double .’ Furthermore , her 5:58:53 at Comrades made her the first woman ever to break six hours on the Up Run . She also finished 11th at the New York Marathon in a new personal best of 2:27:48 .
• 2020 – Brought her marathon PB down to 2:26:51 , just 16 seconds outside the SA Record , at the London Marathon .
• 2021 – Broke the 25-year-old SA Marathon Record by clocking 2:25:28 in Italy , then finished 15th in the Olympic Marathon in Japan .
• 2022 – Won her third consecutive Two Oceans title in 3:29:42 , breaking the 33-year-old race record ( 3:30:36 ) and becoming the first woman to run sub- 3:30 in this race .
• 2023 – Broke her own Two Oceans record by winning in 3:29:06 and becoming the first woman to win the race four consecutive times , then shattered the Comrades Down Run record with a 5:44:54 , taking nearly 10 minutes off the 24-year-old record of 5:54:43 .
Taking Those First Steps
Having studied at the University of the Free State to become a qualified Quantity Surveyor , Gerda started running when she got the opportunity to work in Dubai , and decided to join a running club to make new friends in her new home . “ When I started running in 2014 , everyone in my running group was training for an ultramarathon , and I ended up joining them . That is how my running journey began ,” says Gerda .
Since then , Gerda has won the biggest races and set incredible records , and she says she strongly believes that it is never too late to chase your dreams . “ Becoming a professional athlete was part of my dreams , but I was not putting in a lot of effort to ensure that it becomes a reality , because I did not think it would be possible . I only started my running career in my mid-twenties , but that did not stop me from achieving my goals , and I want people to know that nothing is impossible – you can achieve whatever you want if you put your mind to it .”
To watch Gerda ’ s episode of the engaging “ Remember My Name ” docu-series , brought to you by adidas , click the link below .
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