to the cold , and for South Africans , up in those European mountains , it was very , very cold ! At some points I was unable to run , and would walk , or just take a break , but no matter what you did , walking or standing or running , every movement hurt . I remember on my second leg , going up a 1km section of mountain that was practically vertical , I just stood there and cried at one point . Many of the runners took over 30 minutes to climb that 1km section . But I would love to attend the event again , because my preparations would be a little bit different now that I know what to expect .”
Unsurprisingly , given her bubbly personality , Tumi was a huge hit with most of the other teams at Beat the Sun , and some of the friends she made will be coming to South Africa in March to join her in running the three-day Cell C AfricanX Trailrun presented by Asics , where she will partner Ron van der Merwe in Team Neverest , and then her racing plans include the Austrian Marathon and Munich Marathon in Europe when she pays a return visit to her running friends . “ This is the first time I will be doing something like
“ 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 .”
AfricanX , and it will be the furthest I ’ ve run in a race , because I ’ ve never done a three-stage race before , but my coach and I are planning it well , and I am extremely excited for the upcoming months . Then after the marathons I will be concentrating on speed work , because I am definitely planning to achieve a 1.20 for a 21km later this year .”
DANCING SHOES
Besides running , Tumi ’ s other passions include the dramatic arts and dancing , and in grade 11 she says she believed her future career would either be in running , or the performing arts ! “ I love performing and dancing , because my personality is always out there … get up and dance , live life to the fullest !” She trained in ballet , ballroom , tap and modern dancing , and says she was also able to pick up many other styles . “ When I was younger I was virtually a self-taught dancer , I could pick up routines easily and I had the skill to do it , but I couldn ’ t see myself as a pro dancer , because I wouldn ’ t want to put that much focus on it . I love dancing , but I don ’ t think I ever want my dancing to become a chore , or lose my passion for it .”
Instead , while her father urged her to study medicine , she instead found her way into the business world , and along the way , in between all the running , she also earned a coastal skipper ’ s licence and did some sailing , ticked skydiving and bungee-jumping off her bucketlist , and learnt two and a half new European languages ( with two and a half more still coming )! And while she would dearly love to make running her career , she says she also has a dream of getting into sports commentary . “ I love engaging with human beings . I love sports , so I would love to commentate for running , cricket and football . I would definitely consider that as a career , but first I want to see what I can achieve as a runner .”
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