“I am proud of what I have done,” said Abongile Ngwabe after running the Comrades Marathon in KwaZulu-Natal recently. This runner from Mthatha is still smiling after reaching the finish line of the biggest race in South Africa.
A healthy body that can fight diseases caused by human consumption these days is the greatest reward for a person who exercises. But winning the Comrades medal is a sign of a brave and determined athlete.
When Abongile started running in 2019, going to the Comrades Marathon was something that never crossed her mind. Things changed when she joined the Cheaters Athletics Club where she mingled with other athletes and was given running tips. It was there that she found the inspiration that gave her the push to run from Pietermaritzburg to Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
“Even tomorrow, I would choose to be a runner,” said Abongile speaking to this newspaper about her running history. “Exercising is what I grew up doing. I use it to keep my body in shape because I am a person who gains weight quickly when I do not do anything. However, I never thought that one day I would run the Comrades Marathon. This was planted in my mind by my peers from Cheaters Athletics Club who were preparing to go to Comrades. Because I accompanied them when they trained and when they went to the races, they showed me that I can join the Comrades. I did not intend to go but I agreed because I felt that I was fit,” said Abongile.
The wonderful thing about Comrades, whether you make it to the finish line or not: it gives you incredible strength to deal with the hard things in life. “After the Comrades Marathon, it became clear that I did something that many people were afraid of. It is fun for me because crossing the finish line is a big thing as a runner. Many people do not cross for various reasons. I have fell but I got up and continued until I got there,” said Abongile who said that anyone can run the Comrades Marathon if they are well prepared.
This athlete from Mthatha is still massaging her muscles but she is eyeing two marathons including the Two Oceans Marathon.
IPirates ibhale iincwadi zembali ngokutsha eMoses Mabhida Stadium!