Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 62, September 2014 | Page 19

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RWFL Somerset West

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n 2013 the Somerset West branch was
awarded the annual Honours Award for the
best branch in the country and franchise owner
Marié Barnard says the award was won thanks
to her branch’s well-balanced focus on lifestyle
management and athletic performance. “This
branch prides itself on the fact that it has a
good spread of fitness and activity levels, from
moving sedentary people to social walkers,
to top Western Province race walkers, ultra
distance runners and adventurous trail runners!
My biggest joy is to see somebody getting up
from the couch and getting them excited about
setting that fitness goal, and then see them
finish with a sparkle in the eye!”

Images: Marie Barnard

The branch has been operating since 1998
and has around 200 members, with a current
spread in age from 14 to the late 70s, and
Marié has been running the branch with her
partner, Hugh Parry, for the past 16 years. She
was a competitive athlete in her younger days,
completing the Two Oceans ultra 10 times and
the Comrades twice, as well as six Puffer 80km
trail runs – and it is her passion for the trails
that has really rubbed off on her members.
“We’ve had at least 10 members each year
in the last five Puffers, and living in Somerset
West, you just have to do trail running,” says
Marié.
The Somerset West group trains on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:30pm at the
Radloff Park Sport Grounds in Lourensford
Road. To get in touch, contact
Marie on 083 713 2858 or
[e-mail].

SUCCESS ST
ORY

Carol-Ann Aver, RWFL Somerset West
When Carol-Ann (69) joined RWFL eight years
ago, with husband Brian, she said they just
wanted to get walking fit and improve their
lifestyle, but she was adamant about one thing:
“I don’t do rain!” However, the walking bug bit
and soon she was a regular at training sessions,
no matter what Mother Nature threw at her. Four
months in she did her first 10km race, and a
year later she completed her first half marathon.
After that, there was no holding her back, and
soon she was achieving age category positions
in the Western Province Walking League. That
saw her selected as the Western Province Race
Walker of the Year in 2013, and in 2014 she
was awarded her SA Colours as she once again
finished on the podium in her age category at
the SAMA Race Walking Champs in Rustenburg
in April.

Modern Athlete is proud
to be an official media
partner of Run/Walk For
Life, the organisation with
over 30 000 members in
100 branches throughout
SA that specialises in
getting you started as
a walker or a runner,
and also has one of the
biggest and most active
athletic clubs in SA.

Find A Branch Near You

Go to www.rwfl.co.za and click on the
Branches tab for a handy interactive map
where you can search for the nearest branch
to where you live or work.
MORE INFO: 0861 00 55 66 or
[e-mail]

Your Health. Your Fitness. Your Life.

SA's Biggest Running Publication