Local athlete set to unlock full potential at new club

Hard work and consistent improvement have been the catalyst to former Boksburg Athletic Club (BAC) runner Wanda Britz’s breakthrough year where she ran a sub-3:30 marathon, finished her first Comrades and achieved her first ever 10km podium.

She may smile by default but personal tragedies have shaped her into becoming the competitive athlete she is.

A frustrating lengthy recovery period from a raptured Achilles tendon in 2021 got her into running.

That period was vital in that it made Wanda long for her late father who was her source of support as an average teenage cross-country runner, which is why she decided to lace up her running shoes once her Achilles healed.

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“I remember my father on his bicycle with a whistle clenched to his teeth, trying to help me train. He taught me to work hard and be compassionate with myself,” she said.

When Wanda joined the local parkrun in December 2022, she met an Alberton AC member who invited her to their daily training runs and she ran her first half-marathon the following February, but lost fitness in winter until she joined the BAC earlier this year.

“Running is an inclusive and celebratory sport which allows me to strive for improvement physically and psychologically.

Although there are endless benefits such as soothing stress and cardiovascular fitness, it keeps me grounded,” Wanda said.

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This year was good to her. After a Comrades training period under the guidance of BAC veteran Dieter Muller, Wanda finished the ultimate human race in 08:53:27 earning a Bill Rowan medal.

Goals
While her husband, Warren, was her rock during her Comrades training, Wanda doesn’t downplay the role friends, family and the BAC played in her preparation.

“My blessings go beyond one person as I’m surrounded by a loving family, friends and fellow runners. Where I could not run or even walk, I was carried,” Britz said.

Earlier this month she smashed her marathon PB of 04:29 when she completed the Kaapsehoop 42.2km race in 03:26:56, before finishing the PPS Alberton 10km race on November 10, in 44:17 for third place overall and first in her category.

The 29-year is clearly improving and while she could have chosen to sit back and bask in this glory, resting on her laurels is the last thing on her mind because “it’s quite easy to hit a plateau with your running if you don’t set goals and act on achieving them.”

“I’m eager to run a sub-20 5km and sub-40 10km races soon. I’m working towards running a marathon under three hours and wrapping my hand around a beautiful silver Comrades medal, next year.”

That Comrades silver may be achievable after the Albermarle, Germiston, resident recently jumped ship to celebrated ultra-distance coach John Hamlett’s Pan Africa Resources team to train alongside Johnson Crane Marathon winner Proud Chauke.

“The BAC made me feel at home from the start and will keep a special place in my heart. I’m blessed with a once in a lifetime opportunity to train under John. I’m eager to see what potential I will be able to unlock with his competitive edge and unwavering support.”