FEATURE
House,” he says with a smile.“ That place shaped me into who I am, so it’ s only fair I give something back.”
Through every story Bernard shared, one theme was clear- his unwavering sense of integrity. Whether it was pulling Jake White off the hockey field, protesting for what was right at Comrades, or giving back to his school, Bernard’ s actions always followed his firm beliefs. minutes, placing 25th overall. On entering the stadium, Bernard held aloft a banner that read‘ Collegians open Comrades to All.’
“ People said I was mad,” he recalls.“ But right is right, and wrong is wrong. It wasn’ t a difficult decision for me.” The rules were amended in 1975 to allow black runners to compete officially, but it wasn’ t until 2010 that the Comrades Marathon Association awarded Bernard his rightful silver medal for his run in 1974. His response? He donated it back to the Association.
High School for Boys. Walking the halls of his alma mater clearly brought back a flood of memories.
“ I told the current headmaster, Dale Jackson, that I’ ve bequeathed AUS $ 100,000 in my will to refurbish Oribi
He encapsulates Jeppe’ s motto, Forti nihil difficilius-“ Nothing is too difficult for the brave.” But Bernard has his own take on it:“ You don’ t have to be brave. You just have to know what’ s right.”
Thank you Bernard, for the wisdom, the laughs and most of all, the inspiration.
“ It felt like the right thing to do,” Bernard says simply. Today, that medal is displayed at Comrades House in Pietermaritzburg, alongside Robert Mtshali’ s medal- the first black runner to unofficially complete the race.
Bernard recently returned from Australia to South Africa for a holiday, during which he visited his old stomping ground, Jeppe
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