Zoe’s Blog…….Part 1
Race day! The countdown beings
In less than 20 days I will run the furthest I have ever ran before- a 50km trail run along the uMgeni River in PMB on 20 August.
I have been preparing for this event since last year, when I got this crazy idea in my head that it would be fun to push my physical and mental limits beyond every boundary I have. Since then, this race has grown to have such deeper significance to me, and has become such a special event that I am both excited and terrified of.
From a personal front, 2017 has possibly been one of the toughest years for me. My life did a complete 180 turn, and everything I had come to know was forced to change. At times I felt so down and out and it would have bene so much easier to just accept circumstances but if trail running has taught me anything, it is that nothing worth having comes easy. You have to weather a few storms on your way to the top. You have to climb a few mountains but, when you make it to the top, you realise it was all worth it.
This race has taken on a figurative meaning to me, it has come to symbolise all the struggles I have endured, it represents the tough times, and when I finally conquer that ultimate test of endurance- to me it will be like the Phoenix rising. In my mind, with every step I take, I am rising above life’s adversities.
This is one of the reasons why I feel so strongly about Child Welfare Durban and District and why I thought it would be ideal to use this race as a fundraiser for them.
The children they care for, the ones I have met in their youth centres, have had to face their fair share of adversity and yet they remain hopeful joyful and full of love. I complain because things don’t always go my way, but what about those children, who have had a rough start?
At the end of a hard day I can go home to my friends and family for solace- but who do they have? Where do they go to when they are feeling overwhelmed, or afraid of the future?
Which is why Child Welfare Durban and District plays SUCH an integral part in their lives, because this non-profit organisation provides that comfort, that solace, to these kids who have mostly been abandoned or orphaned and have nowhere else to turn.
I think of these children when I am tired, when I don’t want to go out and do a 35km training run on my own. When my body hurts and I want to give up. Because they inspire me with their zest for life, with their strength… and in some way I hope that my running cold serve as a way to inspire them not to give up on their dreams.
So, for this race, the uMgeni River Run, we are hoping to raise funds to support Child Welfare Durban and District and the children they care for. We are calling upon all community members, businesses, organisations to sponsor per km, and it could be any amount at all, every little bit goes a long way.
As race day approaches, I will be providing regular updates and I hope to share this journey with you. Thank you for reading and I appreciate the support.
Zoe
