Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 60, July 2014 | Page 30

Ma running & sport

Skillz on
the Run
Former Banyana Banyana player
and team manager Lydia
Monyepao of Varsity Kudus
completed her first Comrades last
month in 10:14. She chats about
how football helped her transition
to the Big C, and running to raise
funds for SOS Africa.
For more info on SOS Africa, visit
www.sosafrica.com and find
them online at www.facebook.
com/sosafricacharity and
@SOS_Africa on Twitter

– BY DONALD MATHIPA

G

iven that it was her first go at
Comrades, former soccer star Lydia Monyepao
relied heavily on running friends for tips on
how to run the race. She also attended the
novice training programme seminars at the

talent. She took the sport more seriously while
studying for her B.Com at WITS University, and
in 1998 she was called up to the national team
for the first time for matches against Kenya and
Egypt. “I remember not making the starting
eleven back then, but I learnt a lot from my
teammates Veronica Phewa and Portia Modise,”
says Lydia. “I was also nicknamed Skillz, because
of what I did on the field.”

the transition to running easy. Running helps you
get through the 90 minutes, and game time helps
you on the road.” Her Comrades debut was also
a natural step up: “I remember every time I told
people that I’m a runner, they would ask me if I’ve
done Comrades. So I told myself I’d see what it is
all about.”

Images: Jetline Action Photo and Courtesy SOS Africa

Now she believes that every South African should
attempt the ultra “It goes with the perception
that you’re not a runner until you’ve done it!”
She went on to play for the national side 20
Even better, she says people should run it for a
times, scoring four goals, was part of the team
at the CAF African Women’s Champs in Nigeria in good cause, as she did in 2014. “I decided to run
Comrades for a charity called SOS Africa, which
2002 and again back home in 2004, and helped
funds the education and care of underprivileged
Banyana finish runners-up at the 2003 All Africa
African township children.
Games in Nigeria. Back home at club level, she
My hope and dream is
was part of the WITS team that won the SASSU
to empower young girls
student champs in 2002, and then played for the
from the rural area in
Soweto Ladies team that won the national club
Mafikeng by helping
title in 2004. While at varsity, she also represented
them gain access to
the national student team at the World Student
quality education not
Games in 2001 (China) and 2003 (South Korea),
offered in the rural public
having also made the basketball team for the
schools.”
Games in Spain in 1999.
High Performance Centre in Pretoria, and ran
several key events for her build-up, the Township
Marathon, Pick n Pay Marathon, Old Mutual Om
Die Dam 50km and Old Mutual Two Oceans
Marathon. Still, she says it was a hard run,
especially in the latter kilometres of the race.
“Comrades was tough but enjoyable, and running
in a group or a bus made the first half easy.
Then, as fatigue started taking its toll at about
35km to go, the spectators and their cheers along
the route gave me the oomph to keep on,” she
says. “The last 11km were the longest, however,
and each kilometre looked longer than normal!”

In 2007 she was a finalist in the
Shoprite Checkers/SABC2 Woman of
the Year Awards, and then in February
2012 she was appointed Banyana
team manager and accompanied the
team to the 2012 London Olympics.
As a former player, she believes she
knew how to empathise and interact
with the team. “Former players with
the right qualifications, experience and
skills must be roped into that managerial
position. It was the best job ever,” says Lydia.

NATURAL SKILLS

FROM FIELD TO ROAD

Lydia’s involvement in soccer began at school
when she was invited to play in a five-a-side
match and her teacher spotted her undeniable

30

Having hung up her boots, Lydia says it was
natural to take up running. “The endurance I
gained from training when playing soccer made

ISSUE 60 JULY 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za