Pepler delivers golden performance at provincials
She won the junior women's 6km race in 22:25.1.
Kiana Pepler’s resilience paid off on August 16 as the youngster, who only returned to competitive running in May after months out with a stress fracture, powered her way to the junior women’s 6km title at the CGA cross-country championships in Germiston.
Pepler delivered a gritty performance to claim the gold, leaving CGA’s leading female middle-distance prospects like Dieketseng Motsoeneng and Andiswa Nkomo choking on dust after covering three laps of the course in 22:25.1.
Motsoeneng was second in 22:43.8 and Nkomo third in 23:33.6.
“I am proud of myself, especially going into the race not expecting to come first. It was a real feel-good moment knowing my training and hard work paid off at the right time,” she said.
“This victory means a lot to me. It keeps my mind motivated and shows that, after a setback, there are always better things to come.”
The Benoni Harriers middle-distance athlete made her comeback to competitive running in the first CGA cross-country league meeting on May 3.
She suffered the injury after last year’s ASA cross-country championships in the Vaal, where she was 10th in the U17 girls’ 4km.
Pepler returned to running with a 23:45 clocking in the 5km at the Benoni Northerns Marathon in April, before her first cross-country league at Kwathema Stadium on May 3.
Responding to what it meant crossing the finish line as a champion, she said, “I was in shock. It was unexpected, but I crossed the line knowing I put in the hard work to be in that position.
“I had a moment where I thought back to being on the sidelines watching my teammates compete. But during those tough months, I stayed motivated for this exact moment. I’m grateful for the motivation from my running group, friends and family. What stuck with me was that the comeback will always be better than the setback.”
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