Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 55, February 2014 | Page 10

In the Lead

Last year was quite the comeback year for
top Durban runner Jenna Challenor after
the birth of her third daughter, but she
reckons the third pregnancy has actually
helped her become a better runner.
– BY SEAN FALCONER

W

ith a very successful year’s running behind her,
Jenna Challenor of Boxer Athletic Club is looking forward
to 2014 with great excitement. Having given birth to her
third daughter, Tao, just over 18 months ago, the multiple
KwaZulu-Natal champion at 10km, the half marathon and in
cross-country says she came back stronger than ever, which
saw her win both the Totalsports Ladies 10km in Durban in
Jenna wins the 2013
Spar Ladies 10km in
Pietermaritzburg.

August and the Spar Ladies 10km in Pietermaritzburg in
September. She also finished third at the SA Half Marathon
Champs in September in East London, clocking a PB of
1:16:21, and provisionally booked her spot in the SA
team for the World Half Marathon Champs in Denmark in
March. Added to that, she has just been selected for the
Endurocad Satellite Training Squad in KZN, and currently
holds the fastest time in SA for a 5km parkrun, having
clocked 16:35 in August.
“I decided to come back fairly quickly after Tao was born
and didn’t know what to expect, but ended up having
a really awesome year. I went to the Totalsports race
unprepared, having been injured for a month before, but
I did alternate training and my world-class physio Wayne
Holroyd held me together, and I ran a time just one second
off my PB of 34:58! Then I won the Spar race, which I also
won in 2011, even though I was tired after three big races
leading up to it, including the SA Half Champs. Now I’m
waiting to see if we will go to Denmark. I would love to be
in the team and go run at world class level.”

SPORTY ROOTS
Jenna ran middle distance at school and also did lifesaving,
being part of the SA team, along with future husband

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ISSUE 55 FEBRUARY 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za

Brett, which won the Lifesaving World Champs in New
Zealand in 1998. She took a break from running while
studying teaching, but got back into it when she began
working, around the same time that she also turned her
photography hobby into a business venture. “I was doing
my teaching, my photography, and running, and then my
eldest two daughters, Nicolette and Rylee, arrived. It all
got a bit too much and I had to choose, so I went into
photography – it’s a lot more flexible for my children, and
my running. I do miss teaching, and one day will go back
to it, but now I can train, look after my kids, and still do
my photography.”
She is a dedicated mother to her active daughters,
and says that Tao’s arrival completed her happiness. “I
always wanted three babies, and had to beg Brett for
five years to get my third, but that’s me done now, the
factory is closed!” she laughs. “Now I can really focus on
my running and see where I can go with it. Thankfully,
Brett is an incredible husband and father, and is very
supportive of my running – even though he travels a lot
for business, I wouldn’t be able to do so many races if
he wasn’t so supportive. I also need to thank my shoe
sponsor Saucony and supplement sponsor 32Gi for their
awesome support!”
When asked what effect her three pregnancies have
had on her running, Jenna smiles as she explains she is
now a better runner than ever. “Some people say you
struggle after having children, and I must admit I did
struggle to regain my fitness after my first two, but after
my third, I feel stronger than ever. Maybe it’s because I
have to juggle a lot more now, and be more disciplined
and focused, because I only have one-and-a-half hours
to train at 4:30am. I’m a mom of three and a wife, and I
split myself a million different ways, but I fit it all in. You
just have to go out there and do it, work it round your
family and make it part of your life.”

LOOKING AHEAD
For now Jenna is focusing on distances up to 21km, and
this year she plans to get back into cross country, having
run in SA colours in 2009, but later she plans to step up
to the marathon and ultras. “One day I want to run a
Jenna with her family, Husband Brett and
daughters (from left) Tao, Nicolette and Rylee.

Images: Brett Florence, Justin Cleaner & Courtesy Jenna Challenor

Babies Done,
Now to Run

good marathon overseas, and having