READER STORY
1 MIN 30 SECONDS
Red
From a
Dress to Running Shoes :
My Unlikely Journey to Being a Runner
It all started with a red dress . Not just any red dress , but my Sunday best — a bold , unapologetically ruby number that screamed , “ I ’ ve arrived !” Picture this : five-year-old me , perched at the window , ready for my first day of school . I had no idea what awaited me , but that dress wasn ’ t just clothing ; it was my first step into a life of adventures , challenges , and eventually , triumphs . - Toni Cavanagh
Fast forward to primary and high school , where I discovered sprinting . My PT teacher thought putting me on the sprint team would be a great way to drag me out of my personal Narnia - and it worked ! I became “ the sprinter ,” representing my school , house and district board . Winning felt great , but running gave me something better — a sense of freedom and a fire to always do my best .
Adulthood saw me trading barefoot sprints for new challenges . First , the 36km Cape Town Big Walk , proving I could endure long distances and then came cycling , thanks to a sibling bet . A couple of Argus Cycle Tours , a nasty crash , and elbow surgery later , my bike became garage art . Golf was next , and though I thought chasing a little white ball for hours sounded mind-numbing , it became my sport . I earned provincial colours and played in Sunshine Tour Pro-Ams before life threw me its curveball .
In 2005 , I faced degenerative disc disease . A total disc replacement at L4 / L5 seemed like the end , but months later , I was back on the golf course , swinging like a ballerina . Just as I found my groove , life threw another wrench . By 2009 , I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and presented with multiple sclerosis . My body was a battlefield , and I felt like I was losing every fight .
By 2013 , overweight and disheartened , I decided enough was enough . Inspired by my late mom ’ s mantra —“ Move More ”— I entered the Two Oceans Half Marathon . Never mind that I ’ d never run further than 800m in my life ! Ten months later , I completed my first marathon . That finish line ? Life-changing . I celebrated in an adult version of my childhood red dress because it symbolised how far I ’ d come .
10 ISSUE 176 | www . modernathlete . co . za