Bella’s Athletics Club hosted a send-off party at the Mbombela Stadium on Wednesday March 30 to honour one of their star athletes who will be participating in international race events.

Tlangelani Mthimkhulu (41) will be representing the club in the Paris Marathon on April 3, and on April 18, she will represent the club in Boston, USA.

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She holds a BCom accounting degree and works as an auditor for the Mpumalanga provincial administration. She said she is excited for the chance to compete in these international races.

“I began running marathons in 2016, though I have always been an active person. As a young adult, running was the only sport I could pursue to maintain a healthy body, mind and soul. I consider myself extremely fortunate and delighted to have the opportunity to represent one of the best clubs in Mpumalanga, fondly known as the purple nation. I am really pleased, since I will be representing not just my club, but the entire country.

“This is not my first international event, but it is my first Boston Marathon. I have previously competed in four international races, the first of which was the Chicago Marathon in the US in 2017, followed by a trip to Germany in which I ran the Berlin Marathon in 2018, and in 2019 it was London, UK, and New York City.” She said she is prepared and has the necessary experience to compete in both races.

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“The Paris Marathon and the Boston Marathon are two separate courses with very different route profiles, which necessitate different training approaches, but because I have been running marathons for a while, I have the capabilities and experience to tackle both at the same time.”

Bonginkosi Zitha, the chairperson of Bella’s Club, was present at the send-off celebration, offering words of encouragement and gratitude to Mthimkhulu.

“I want to thank you for being a part of our team and for representing this club; we are extremely proud of you and your accomplishments. We wish you luck in your forthcoming races, and please know that we love you and will be praying for you. We will be following you on TV throughout your Paris Marathon; best wishes and good luck.”