Seriously none of those were ever 200 kg’s so as I say my inspiration came from a very unexpected source, this all started on a race and of course not just any race, it was a 50 km ultra marathon.
Up to that stage I had being trying to lose weight and yes it was working to an extent but not the results I had hoped for. So here I am on my first ultra marathon and I meet a young lady who had just been retrenched from her job.
She was about 110 kg, about 1.7 m, slightly overweight and a great personality, we stayed together for quite a few km until she got a cramp in her leg and she told me to go on without her.
I met up with her again on her next race, we became friends and walking partners, it was great and I enjoyed the little challenge that we had, finish the race before cut off, one day at the Tyre Force 10 km I felt great and said to her that I would be going for it. I did and at about 8 km another athlete on the road asked me where my partner was, I said that she was back there, to my surprise a voice from be hind me said “Oh Really” Yikes it was her in full steam ahead. Well couldn’t have that now so I opened up and beat her to the finish line.
Just after that Run Walk for Life, where she was a member, gave her an award of a little ambulance mounted on a piece of wood called “The Ambulance Chaser” This seemed to really get to her. Next thing she dropped 50 kg’s and began winning races in unbelievable times.
Yet more surprises were in store, 2007 she suddenly ran a 10 km race, about a month later she ran a marathon and yes she qualified for Comrades which she went and ran and finished within the cut off. I was blown away but as they say that is not all….she then entered Two Oceans ultra for the first time, if that was not enough of a challenge she ran the cut off bus with another well know pacesetter. She finished the race on time and to my surprise with the other pacesetters bus, he came in alone and complained that she stole his bus. I think the people in that bus just saw what I see in her and knew this is the person to follow.
Well could there be…..yes she entered Comrades again and ran with the cut off bus flags, she brought in one of the biggest busses I have ever seen on Comrades but again this was not all, she became the first female pacesetter on Comrades.
My friend, my mentor Mrs Sharon Fuchs.
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