WHO IS INSPIRING US ?
2 MINS 14 SECONDS
What ’ s Your
Excuse ?
Fast forward to a warm , laughterfilled morning where a bunch of us gathered for a social 5 / 10km run to celebrate Stompy ’ s birthday . And that ’ s how I met Erin . Let me tell you , she ’ s the kind of person whose energy lights up a room - or in this case , the whole road . Vivacious , bubbly , and magnetic , Erin is one of those rare souls who leave you feeling brighter just by being around her .
So , who or what is Stompy , you ask ? Well , I didn ’ t hog all her attention on the run ( tempting as it was ), but I did learn that Stompy is Erin ’ s prosthetic leg . Yep , her left leg to be exact , and the very reason she ’ s running ( pun intended ) toward life with renewed vigor and joy . Every year , on January 15th , Erin , her family , and friends come together to celebrate the day Stompy entered her life - like a “ prosthetic-iversary .”
“ We can do a nice , neat , and tidy amputation , and you can live that active lifestyle that you want .” That ’ s what Erin Lazarus ’ doctor told her . Casual , right ? Like he was offering a trim at the salon . Our Roving Cow Rich Laskey got to chat to the inspirational Erin Lazarus on a run of course .
14 ISSUE 176 | www . modernathlete . co . za
For Erin , Stompy represents something big : the mindset of “ Just get up and do it . You ’ ve got nothing to lose . Who cares what you look like in the process ?” She knows so many of us get caught up worrying about how we look running - or worse , whether we ’ ll survive the first five minutes ! Erin ’ s philosophy is simple : take that first step . One blade ( or shoe ) in front of the other .
During our run , she shared the backstory - endless doctor visits that led to the decision to amputate . Erin has an auto immune disease called Lupus . Her particular Lupus attacks her blood cells , vessels and kidneys and led to her