Candy Bowker isn’t chasing medals at Comrades, she’s running for her six-year-old daughter, Brooklyn.

The Dolphin Coast Striders runner has turned what began as a way to stay active into a platform for awareness and change. Early mornings and long kilometres have built discipline, but also the mental strength she now relies on.

Brooklyn is full of life, but she faces a future that will require a liver transplant, a reality that has shifted everything for Bowker.

“As a parent, it changes how you see the world,” she said. “It changes what truly matters.”

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Bowker took on the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon in April and will now tackle the Comrades Marathon to raise awareness around organ donation.

For Bowker, that wait is personal and running has become her platform. She uses races to start conversations, encourage people to register as organ donors and highlight the need for change.

South Africa’s organ donor rate remains critically low, leaving many families waiting for life-saving transplants.

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Each race carries added meaning, not just a test of endurance, but an opportunity to bring attention to an issue affecting thousands of families.

Balancing training with family life is not always easy, but her motivation is clear.

“I am running for Brooklyn,” she said. “I am running for every child waiting, and every family holding onto hope.”

As she prepares for her second Comrades after debuting in 2025, Bowker represents a different side of the race, where purpose runs deeper than performance.

Her journey is a reminder that while Comrades is known for distance and difficulty, some of the most powerful stories are about impact beyond the finish line.