Ma Feature
Gauteng at the SA
Cross Country Champs in George , and was selected to be part of Team Africa at the Asics Beat the Sun international relay event in the French Alps .
TUMI
Takes Them On
With her bubbly personality and a zest for life that rubs off on everyone around her , Tumi Matlou is making a name for herself as a runner while making friends all over the world . – BY RACHEL PIENAAR
It was probably always Tumi Matlou ’ s destiny to become a competitive runner ... After all , aged just 12 , she actually felt perplexed when her mother beat her in morning runs in her home town of Lebowakgomo , in Limpopo . “ I grew up in a family of active sportsmen and sports lovers , and my mom influenced us from a young age to be fit . She would wake me in the morning and do little 4km runs with me , and she used to beat me . I used to look at her , like , how is this possible , you are 30-something and I ’ m just twelve , how did you beat me ?” Meanwhile , as the oldest child in her family , Tumi was having a very positive influence on her younger siblings , with her youngest sister and brother going on to excel in various sports at their schools .
Now 26 , the Johannesburg-based Communication Team Assistant at Revlon says that her love for running didn ’ t only come from her family , but also thanks to her teachers . “ During my primary school days the teachers would force everyone to do every single event at athletics , to try and figure out what they were good at , and I excelled at the time in sprints and long jump . It was only in grade five that I decided I wanted to try the long distance races , so I started with the 800m , then moved up to the 1200m , and I have not looked back . Then after I graduated from high school , I took a gap year before going to university , and during this year I ran a few trails around the Grootkloof area in the Magaliesberg , and I won a few of small trail events .”
SERIOUSLY NOW !
That prompted Tumi to get serious about her running , especially when she moved to the city three years ago for work , and since adopting a more professional approach , she can now look back on a most successful running career . Last year she finished on the podium at a number of trail and cross country events while also doing well on the road , represented Central
“ It ’ s been quite the journey from 2014 when I started . I can honestly say that the journey so far has been tough , especially much of 2015 being a frustrating year , as I had to recover from injuries and was itching to get back on course , but it ’ s also been absolutely amazing . I am quite competitive and I aim for a podium place in all my races – that ’ s a goal I set for myself , but I also hold a lot of respect for the ladies that I run against , and it is always an experience to run against them .”
VIVE LE ’ FRANCE
One of the highlights of 2016 for Tumi was the Asics Beat the Sun event in France , where she secured her selection for the team by getting friends and family to vote for her in a public voting system . Still , she had to meet stringent running requirements to be part of the African team , as she would be part of a continental team made up of three pro runners and three talented amateur runners set to do battle against various other mixed international continental teams in running around Mont Blanc , Europe ’ s highest mountain – and trying to beat the sun by completing the 150km route as a relay team between sunrise and sunset . That meant not only highly competitive running at high altitude , but also bitterly cold conditions and running in snow on some of the legs .
“ Going to Beat the Sun was nerve-wracking !” says Tumi . “ The experience was completely different for us South Africans , despite the fact that it was June in SA and winter here . We still needed to adjust
Images : Sean Falconer & Courtesy Tumi Matlou
18 ISSUE 92 MARCH 2017 / www . modernathlete . co . za