Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 63, October 2014 | Page 14

Ma Her! opping o St feature N ght due to lly lost her si cobs partia irth of her e Ja r after the b eight, Louis rated furthe the age of that At ene e at all, but ition. It deg could not se netic cond she thon four a ge go, so that rades Mara g the Com n 11 years a childre conquerin run. ed her from her first trail asn’t stopp h tly finishing m recen times, or fro YVER – BY LAUREN VAN DER V W ith an elastic band with two loops at each end, one roped around her hand and the other around her running guide Roald le Roux’s hand, Louise Jacobs set off in this year’s Comrades Marathon, her fourth consecutive Big C. Everything went fine for the first 20km, until Roald pulled over for a pit-stop and they became separated in the chaos. “Funnily enough, I’ve completed all my Comrades journeys on my own,” says Louise. “Hills don’t bug me because I can’t see them, and when I ask the marshals or crowd which way to go, they always shout ‘there!’ and I shout ‘where?’ They never realise I’m blind!” up in Kokstad and my parents sent my brother, who suffers from the same disorder, and I to a normal school, which I’m so thankful for. We were always taking part in sports because back then you went to the principal’s office if you didn’t!” After school, Louise finished her teacher’s degree at the University of Pretoria, got married and had children, but her teaching career ended when she lost her sight permanently. However, Louise found a new path in sports massage therapy. sense I was running blind because it was tough! I almost fell thousands of times and approached the trail with a stop in my run, always expecting to dodge and turn whenever commanded, with my arms rigid by my side.” However, the idea of falling is something Louise is prepared for. “I’m prone to it, so I manage accordingly. I’ve fallen many times, so building strength can only help recovery, and I swim, spin or do weights five times a week to build the muscles I need. Running and life are similar things. Life is falling, living is standing up and going again… so running is freedom for me, and once you find that rhythm and your heartbeat is regulated, it’s like flying.” However, little things are harder for Louise… like emptying her bladder. “I have to ask to be guided to the bathroom, and after every finish, I make sure I hold on to the person beside me so they can lead me through the tent area and I can land up safely on the other side, but I’ve gotten used to it all. Everyone asks me how it feels finishing Comrades. They should rather ask how it is actually doing it! The experience of it, the vibe, crowds and water points – it’s exceptional!” Getting Started For Louise, her major victory is just participating in spite of her blindness. “I grew 14 Going For It Not content with just running on the roads, Louise also completed her first trail race at the beginning of September, at the Leopard’s Hill Marathon, and after 42km of side-stepping rocks and gravel, she finished in 4:52. “In the first half, my friend doing the half marathon guided me, and then my husband guided me the rest of the way on his bike,” she says. “I think my ankles could ISSUE 63 OCTOBER 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za Images: Jetline Action Photo Nearly five years ago, just nine months before her first Comrades, Louise gave running a go after hearing that two members in her church were running the Comrades to raise funds for Sudan. “I thought ‘why not’ and they loved my enthusiasm, but had no idea I was blind!” says Louise. “I joined Agape Club in Pretoria and that helped. You meet friends that help you along the way.” Five years later and Louise has also completed 33 marathons, and she says “I’ve learnt the science behind running, when to build up, then holding back before race day. I learnt when to run and when to walk, and I love that running recipe.”