Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 52, November 2013 | Page 20

Balancing Act

Lights,
camera…

So in 2011, Vaylen knew she had a few mistakes to
rectify, and says she enjoyed her Comrades experience
much more, finishing in 10:19 without a trip to the
medical tent afterwards. “Nothing beats that emotional
journey,” she says. “I remember recording my day’s
experience, but the recorder was stolen. I remember
crying – not because I had lost the recorder, but because
I had lost the memories I noted down. Everyone has a
story, and I think the race changes the way you look at
any challenge in life.”

BY CHANCE

Entry into the world of broadcasting came early for
Vaylen. In high school, her potential was recognised
when she did lines in a SABC Education nativity play and
got spotted by top sports broadcaster Cynthia Tshaka.

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ISSUE 52 NOVEMBER 2013 / www.modernathlete.co.za

Looking ahead, Vaylen says she would like to do more
radio, write more, and eventually host her own talk show.
And on the road, she is planning to tackle next year’s Old
Mutual Two Oceans ultra and several trail runs, and wants

I get excited about all the stories around me. I
get to hear about people’s achievements and there’s
nothing better than that.
to improve on her 10km and marathon PBs, too. That’s
“Two years later when I was in matric, I was called
in to do some voiceovers. Then I started working on
a disability sports programme and went on to report
on Natalie Du Toit’s five gold medals in 2004 at the
Paralympics – right beside the pool! It was also around
the time a young Oscar Pistorius broke onto the scene in
Athens.” She would go on to cover two Olympic Games
and another Paralympics. Vaylen’s comfort and confidence
in front of the camera also saw her host the glamorous
Durban July and Met horse racing events, as well as last
year’s Comrades Marathon.
After studying a BA in private law and communication
from UNISA as well as achieving Honours in Journalism,
Vaylen quickly became a household name. From her
early beginnings at Topsport’s Sportsbuzz, then SABC
Sport, she’s now become a vital cog in the Morning Live
team on SABC 2. She’s also dabbled in radio with a few
weekend shows on SAFM and previously hosting her own
sports show on YFM, Yired on Sport. “I’ve interviewed
Bruce Fordyce, Zola Pieterse, Bafana’s Itumaleng Khune,
Springbok Bryan Habana, and even got a few minutes
with American swimmer Michael Phelps!” says Vaylen. “I
get excited about all the stories around me. I get to hear
about people’s achievements and there’s nothing better
than that.”

why you’ll see her out on a run three times a week,
varying sprints and hills (her favourite), doing longer
runs on weekends and spending hours in the gym for
strength work. “I find time to fit it all in – anyone can
if they want to! Running is a means to digest life’s
frustrations. I can’t imagine life without it. You meet so
many different characters and you make an investment
for your health – and healthier people are nicer and
happier!”

You can follow Vaylen on Twitter: @VaylenKirtley

Images: Jetline Action Photo & Courtesy Vaylen Kirtley

he had wanted to run the Comrades since her
school days, so in 2010, having already covered the race
as a presenter, Vaylen joined Sunninghill Striders and
qualified to run it – before she really knew what she was
letting herself in for. “It was always about participation
for me, so I wanted to say that I’ve done it!” she says.
However, at the 10km marker in her debut Comrades run
in 2010, Vaylen was unceremoniously told by a fellow
runner, “You can’t call yourself a Comrades runner until
you’ve run it twice,” and with that daunting thought in
her head throughout the race, she finished exhausted in
11:47. Having eaten only half a potato and a sandwich
along the route, she was put on a glucose drip in the
medical tent at the finish.

INVESTING IN HEALTH

“

S

With a busy schedule on her hands, Vaylen still plays
adoring mom to six-year-old daughter Tehya, and it
seems mom’s love of sport and fitness is already filtering
through. “She’s just done her first cross-country season,
but we’ll see where it takes her. I want her to find
anything she’s passionate about.” For Vaylen, sport and
motherhood is what her life is all about: “The TV at home
is either on a sports channel or a kid’s programme!”

“

As far as sports broadcasting goes,
Morning Live’s Vaylen Kirtley is
one of the country’s finest, covering a
range of sporting events all over the
world and brushing shoulders with the
world’s sporting stars, while also juggling
motherhood and still finding time to run
the Comrades. – BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER