WELCOME
The truth will set you free
Welcome back to our latest edition. Feedback on the new format we launched last month was met with much enthusiasm and love from a lot of you, and for that, we are so thankful. It takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes to put a magazine together, and as we are finding our feet, it gives us all the warm and fuzzy feelings when we receive feedback that you like what we are doing.
Standing on the start line of the Balwin Pretoria Marathon, the vibe from the runners was indescribable. Our social media team shared this video.
South Africa has such a rich, diverse culture, and nowhere do you see the true spirit of Ubuntu more than in a running race with thousands of runners from all different spaces and cultures coming together. It reminded us why we love this industry and, more importantly, why we do what we do.
This issue is a special one on many fronts, the features are all so inspirational at their core. Our cover star, Ipeleng‘ Crazy Legs’ Khunou, is a runner many have seen at races taking on distances with the aid of crutches. His motto in life never say never has seen him take his crutches to amazing places, including the start line of this year’ s Totalsports Two Oceans. He embodies a spirit and tenacity that all sports should embrace, and we are so excited to share his story.
In other exciting news after her article last month, we are so proud to introduce our newest columnist, Erin Lazurus. Her story is so much more than the leg she lost to Lupus, so we thought, why not give her a space where she can speak her mind and tell us a little bit more about what makes her tick. Her introduction into the running community as a runner, has again shown the ubuntu culture we love to see, so watch out world Erin is coming for you!
Our great debate section continues to create some much-needed conversation within the sporting community and what we most love about it; it gives you insight into both sides and lets you make an informed decision. Too much of what we see on social media these days is a platform for one-sided conversations without a heed of what the other side’ s story is. It’ s so easy to paint people guilty without doing the job of getting all sides. We plan more topics that need conversation, so buckle up. This month looks at T-shirts and medals and whether they are as necessary as we think they are.
South African track stars Akani Simbine and Prudence Sekgodiso lit the indoor track World Championships in China alight with amazing performances, scoring Team SA two medals. The Athletics South Africa Grand Prix Series has also been highlighting just how much talent we have coming up the ranks, and it is heartening to see that Athletics is getting it right. Our track and field juniors are paving the way forward for South Africa, and we are so excited to see what they can achieve in the coming months and years.
At the heart of our team, we are a diverse bunch, all with a great passion for sport in South Africa. This is what we want to bring to you, our readers: balanced, well-thought-out content that inspires, promotes debate, and gets you going with the thought,‘ If they can, I can.’
Till next month
Team Modern Athlete
4 ISSUE 177 | www. modernathlete. co. za