THIS year’s Comrades Marathon is deeply personal for Durban North resident Jenna Saxby.

Not only is this her first Comrades, but the 27-year-old is also raising funds for Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust (HACT).

This is to honour the life of her uncle, George, who was HIV-positive and died in 2011.

The DHS Oldies Athletics Club member will also call on the experience of her father, Mike, who has also raised more than R20 000 for the trust, in his previous seven Comrades runs.

“I love a challenge and I’ve always wanted to do Comrades at some point. I was inspired by my father who got me into running. He has already completed seven Comrades Marathons and with my first, I thought why not run this together. Raising funds for HACT is also something close to our family’s heart. My uncle passed away when I was 13 from HIV. Seeing his journey, I realised how important access to care is.

“HIV has such a stigma and HACT does such amazing work in terms of awareness and supporting people living with HIV. Being a part of this journey is a way of not only keeping his memory alive but also contributes to making a profound difference in the lives of those impacted,” she said.

Lucky number 8

Supported by her mother on the route, Jenna also touched on a few moments on how the number eight has factored into her Comrades journey.

“I qualified for the Comrades at last year’s Hope Marathon. It wasn’t my longest marathon but it was my toughest, I just had a bad day on the route. The incredible thing is I qualified by eight seconds. Interestingly I tried to qualify for the Comrades at last year’s Balwin and missed it by eight seconds. This will also be my dad’s eighth Comrades Marathon, so there may be a bit of serendipity there,” she said.

Community makes a difference

In her years of road running, Jenna has been a member of Hillcrest Villagers, the Pinetown & District Athletics Club and now DHS Oldies, where she has found incredible support.

“Honestly Oldies is such an amazing community. They’ve been so supportive and the training runs have been amazing. The great thing is there are lots of experienced runners who have really taken us first-time Comrades runners, under their wings and given us advice and helped with training. It really has been lovely to be a part of,” she said.

To donate to her cause, visit Jenna’s fundraising page.

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