How it started
I picked running because it looked like the easiest sport, and at first I didn’t enjoy it at all. Then I challenged myself to run a whole route without stopping. Something changed that day, and running has been a love ever since.
Running
Running and fitness
I love to move. Running, the trails, the gym and the outdoors are a big part of who I am.
The trails
I started with parkrun, joined my first running club and kept going. I’ve raced short distances and long ones, on the road and on the trails.
Trail running is my passion, especially the long distances and the many hours they keep you out there. It has taught me discipline and consistency, and how to keep moving when it gets hard.
The community
I love the running community. The first running club I ever joined was Adidas Runners Cape Town, and being part of a good, loving community there taught me a lot. I’ve consistently been part of many other run clubs as well, including the ASICS Run Club in Century City, Cape Town.
Along the way I’ve also supported clubs, crews and initiatives, some linked to brands and some to races, playing different roles. Running has taken me to many places and introduced me to people from every walk of life. That is one of the things I love most about it.
250 days in a row
In 2020 I took on a challenge: run every single day for a year. It was inspired by Hellah Sidibe, a daily runner in the United States. We had spoken years before, and he had inspired me more than he knew. I set myself a minimum for every day and got going.
Then COVID hit, and I kept running. A few months in I got injured, and I kept pushing, until it reached the point where carrying on was no longer healthy. I stopped at day 250.
Two hundred and fifty days of running in a row taught me a lot, maybe more because I didn’t finish. And I’ll always remember the people who followed along, asked how it was going and cheered me on.
The way back
Injury has been part of my story. There were months of physiotherapy and care before I could run again, and then the slow, patient return.
Those seasons taught me as much as any race: discipline when nobody is watching, consistency when progress is slow, and how to come back.
The gym
My love for the gym started because of running. I needed to be stronger for the trails, strength training became part of the routine, and it has stayed with me ever since. Health, fitness and time outdoors are things I never want to be without.
On the run
Brand partnerships
I love working with brands, and it has never been only about business.
From January 2021 to December 2023 I was a global ASICS brand ambassador and a member of the global ASICS FrontRunner team: a sponsored trail runner, working on content, blogs, product reviews, events and shoots alongside athletes, creators and a global team.
For me a partnership is a relationship that is good for both sides. Zlaant is a brand I love for exactly that reason. They helped nurse me back from an injury I had struggled to return from, and they’ve been a critical part of my journey.
I’ve partnered with brands in many ways: as a model for photo and video shoots, as a speaker, filming running content and on social media marketing. It brings my passions and my gifts together, and I love working with brands that do good and make an impact.
Follow my fitness journey on Instagram.