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varsity, including netball, athletics, swimming, karate and volleyball, but helped her to land a job as a sports presenter on TV. She actually began her working career in the corporate world at Investec Private Banking and initially had no plans to pursue sports journalism.“ I loved my job, but while I was there I started volunteering for an NGO, and one night I went out for volunteer work and met the editor for eNCA. We spoke about sport and he mentioned that the eNews channel was looking for sports news anchors.”
TV personality and businesswoman Stacey Holland has used endurance sports to overcome a long-term back injury, and this year will see her taking on more cycling and triathlon events as she challenges herself to achieve new fitness goals. – BY RACHEL PIENAAR
This is set to be a big sporting year for sports presenter Stacey Holland. Although she missed the early part of the triathlon season due to an extended holiday in Europe, and her plans to ride the Cape Town Cycle Tour were literally blown away by the south-easter, she has the L’ etape160km Cycle Challenge coming up in April. After that, she plans to tick off a few more triathlons, including the Warm Water Weekend in the Western Cape and the MiWay Durban Ultra.
In 2014 Stacey accepted the challenge to ride her first 947 Cycle Tour in Johannesburg, and she says,“ I had never done anything that required me to be on the bike four or five hours. It required a big mindset change!” Then in 2015 she stepped up to triathlons, and by 2016 she was ready to take on longer events, including the MiWay Midlands Ultra in KZN. That has seen various people challenge her to take on still longer events, but Stacey says she is taking things in her own stride.
FUTURE SPORTS GOALS
“ I get a lot of people saying get a full Ironman under your belt, but I am not ever persuaded by populist ideas when it comes to sport. Right now my mind is just focussed on the L’ etape, and I still want to focus on the shorter distances in running, cycling and triathlon. Some time in the future I may do Ironman, or take on a CrossFit Challenge, or run the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon when I am 50 … but that will all happen once I feel comfortable with more distance, and once I am a fully injury-free athlete again.”
The pain stems from a car accident while she was at varsity, which left her with two cracked vertebrae, forcing her to take an extended break from sport due the constant dull aching pain in her back.“ I should have worked really hard on my rehabilitation after the accident but I was ignorant to it because the specialist had only recommended about two sessions with a physiotherapist,” says Stacey, adding that it is now 10 years later and only now is she beginning to feel painfree and stronger, thanks to all her sports training.“ The last couple of years have just been learning how to actually recover from that accident properly.”
SPORTING LIFESTYLE
Stacey has always had a passion for sport. That saw her not only participate in various sports at school and
“ I had never done anything that required me to be on the bike four or five hours. It required a big mindset change!”
After a nerve-wracking screen test with well-known journalist Debora Patta, Stacey landed the job as a sports anchor and went on to carve out a successful career as a presenter, MC and public figure. Later she married pro golfer Warren Holland, and together they also run a golf marketing company, Kairos Golf. Understandably, Stacey says it requires a balancing act to fit everything in, including work, training and time with Warren and others:“ I feel that if your life is synergistically aligned, it is easier to balance work in media, and if the media work is in line with health and wellness and fitness, then your training is a natural progression. Also, my husband and I work in sports, so it’ s part of our life. If anything, I have decided that 2017 will be the year to spend more time with family and friends, so I will be focussing on that this year.”
HIGHEST MOTIVATION
Also fitted in her schedule is charitable work, with Stacey using her position as a media personality to help people and give back to communities.“ It hits close to home because I have a younger sister who is disabled and has special needs, and I’ ve always wanted to give her my abilities. I just remember thinking that I am really blessed … as much as I have injuries, or don’ t feel like doing something, I always say that my worst days would still be her best days. The fact that I have this body and I’ m blessed to be able to use it, is what drives me to take part in these events.”
Images: Courtesy Stacey Holland
44 ISSUE 94 MAY 2017 / www. modernathlete. co. za