It’s less than three months to the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon happening on 14 and 15 September. As a partner sponsor, we really wanted to involve our members in the event in a meaningful way – and get them healthier at the same time! So, we hunted far and wide for members with dreams of participating either in the marathon, the 12km trail run or the 10km race, but who need some support to achieve their dreams.
Today, we’re thrilled to introduce you to our Fedhealth Dream Chasers: meet our Marathon Runner, Wannabe Trail Runners and 10km “couch potato” first timers…
The Marathon Runner
Hailing from Johannesburg, Bonani Zuke was inspired to start running four years ago as a way to lose her “baby weight” after the birth of her daughter. She started gradually – running around 5km a few times a week – and slowly built this up to running 10km and 21km distances. As an impressive marker of how far she’s come, Bonani ran her first marathon last year, completing the Soweto Marathon in a time of 6 hours and 5 minutes. Although she was happy with her achievement, this year she wants to improve her time by running 5:30 or less in the Sanlam Cape Town marathon. She’s also turning 40 on race day, so what a birthday present that would be!
The Wannabe Trail Runners
Nikine Letsela
Nikine Letsela is a 29-year-old father of twin girls, who says his daughters are the main reason he wants to be healthier. While living the high life in his twenties – involving plenty of beer and burgers, very little sleep, a nine-hour workday and too much TV – Nikine and his girlfriend learned that they were expecting. Her pregnancy inspired him to begin living a much healthier lifestyle, and he quickly noticed the results. Now that the girls are here, he wants to be the best dad possible to them, which means being the healthiest he can be. While Nikine has always wanted to be a trail runner, he never actually believed that he could be one. Now, as a Fedhealth Dream Chaser, he has the opportunity to show his girls just what dad is made of.
Kamohelo Matsabisa
While married father-of-two Kamohelo Matsabisa has always tried to stay fit, he’s never been able to maintain a consistent level of exercise. His immediate goal is to run the 12km trail run, and possibly a marathon in the longer term. As a pharmacist at a state hospital in Port Elizabeth, he’s been doing weekend work at various pharmacies for the last five years, but this has recently come to an end. With this newfound free weekend time on his hands, he wants to get healthier through a sustained exercise and running programme.
The Couch Potatoes
Marcia Knoetze
For 51-year-old Marcia Knoetze, her battle with being overweight started when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer three years ago. Now, three years later, she’s feeling unfit and unconfident, and hopes to change all that around by entering the trail run. The way she sees it, not many people who are diagnosed with cancer get a second chance at life, so she’s determined to show the world that there’s more to life than the couch and the carbs.
Hengie McInnes
Hengie is a self-confessed couch potato who needs a new lease on her exercise life. While she used to run short distances a few years ago, she suffered from depression which made her lose her drive to exercise, so she lost whatever fitness she’d gained. While she has been keen to start running again, she felt she’s been too scared to get back onto the wagon. As a Dream Chaser, here’s Hengie’s chance. As she puts it: Netflix would really miss her, but her hips would really love it – and so would her dogs.
Loyiso Jamani
41-year-old Loyiso Jamani is a self-confessed couch potato who feels anxious just thinking about running! Although he’s not excessively overweight, he can’t remember when last he was active, so things like walking up a few stairs leave him out of breath. His diet is not what he wants it to be, and he confesses to eating unhealthy foods that leave him feeling tired and, although an optimist, not in the best moods at work. As a Sanlam employee, his colleagues have been trying for years to get him to participate in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon – but he’s always had a ready excuse. Until now, that is…
Want to see how they’re getting along? Keep an eye on our social media platforms in the coming months – including some videos of our Johannesburg Dream Chasers in action too.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.
