MEET: Nontkozo Dlamini

You might also know her from Kriewelkousie Preschool, her place of work.

She has won countless races and because she never found a shoe to her liking, decided to ditch the shoes and go barefoot.

This in the Lowveld, on terrain ridden with acacia branches and temperatures sometimes exceeding 40 degrees.

Dlamini started running when she went to Maminza Primary School in Pienaar, after which she joined Nedbank LVCC in Mbombela.

The only person that could get her shoes that she could race with was Olympic marathon winner, Josia Thugwane.

He bought her Airlite running shoes. Since then, she has not found any shoes that work for her.

Some of the challenges Nontokozo went through when she started include coming from a rural community and therefore not having good facilities to practice.

She also struggled with transportation to events and then not having accommodation when she arrived.

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With no accommodation, she and her other running mates would have to sleep in the bathrooms to go and run the next morning.

Her coach, Hester Pretorius, is always there and always supports her in her training programme.

She is inspired by her new training partner, Abednico Mashaba, and the others who have been there for her.

“My husband, Reuben Malatji, always takes care of the little ones when I am busy. He is very supportive,” Dlamini said.

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Her uncle is her biggest inspiration, as he is also a runner and has been a Comrades frontrunner.  “He always says to me that one day I will be a champion. One day I will be a champion,” said Dlamini.Running keeps her motivated, because it is a healthy lifestyle.

“When other women get children or a good day job, they tell themselves that their running career is over. But when I see my running career, it is not over yet, because I told myself I am still young and I want to do more than this,” Dlamini said.