Malvern soccer coach collects silver at Comrades
The race was not easy and he experienced difficulties along the way.
Hard work, dedication and discipline paid off when Bheki Hlatswayo from Malvern bagged a silver medal at the 2018 Comrades Marathon.
The Malvern Youngsters Football Club coach finished the race in 7:19.24.
“I’m very happy with my race time and obtaining a silver medal.
“My hard work and preparation for this year’s race were all worth it because I managed to improve my time from the previous year’s event by about an hour,” said Bheki.
He attributes his improved time to his high level of physical fitness and mental preparation.
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“Preparing for the Comrades requires full fitness and your mind has to be in the right state and your health too.”
He started training last year December.
“I also joined my teammates on training camps once a month which made a big difference,” said Bheki.
He said the race was not easy and he experienced difficulties along the way.
“I had stomach pains from 13km at Lion Park until the 46km mark at Winston Park. I had to slow my pace in order to overcome the pain.
“After I recovered I kept on pushing and told myself, I’m getting that silver,” said Bheki.
He now aims to be even better next year.
“This year I have seen that I have grown as a runner and will build on that. I’m going to go back to the drawing board and plan where can I improve and which method to use to achieve my goal of getting gold next year,” said Bheki.
He said he is proud of how far he has come.
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He started running in 2014 after sustaining an injury in a soccer match and started running marathons in 2016.
“I have always been a sportsman and when I sustained an injury that prevented me from playing soccer, I decided to find something else. Running helped me to keep focus. I love it and I have never looked back,” said Bheki.
He said the highlight of any race is crossing the finish line.
“Finishing a race is fulfilling and rewarding because you aim for a goal and get to it and that is an amazing feeling,” said Bheki.
