Rufus Photo to showcase his talent abroad
He is very excited because he will participate in races on the international calendar for the first time this year
LIMPOPO – After living from pay cheque to pay cheque for over five years, Rufus Photo quit his job as a security guard and took a life-changing step to live his dream. Photo has been a long distance runner since 2009 and is originally from Mmadigorong.
The 36-year-old is not just a professional athlete, he also has a full time job. “I started taking part in long distance running in 2009 and the person who inspired me to do so was avid runner, Johan van der Merwe from Digital Vehicles Tracking.
“I have a passion for the sport and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else,” Photo explained. Photo has taken part in a number of races around the country, including the Two Oceans Marathon.
“I ran the 56 km Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town where I finished in 179 place in a time of four hours and one minute. I also ran a 42, 2 km race in Thabazimbi, where I finished second in a time of two hours and 35 minutes,” Photo continued. According to Photo, he is still a record holder in the Kumba Marakele Marathon that took place in Thabazimbi.
Photo went on to say one of the most challenging races he ever took part in, was the Comrades marathon.
Even though he performed exceptionally well, he says it was a tough race. “I ran one of the toughest endurance races in the world, the 89 km Comrades Marathon, again this year. It started in Pietermaritzburg and went all the way to Durban. I was the fourth South African man to cross the finish line and also the first man from Moletjie since 1921 to earn three gold medals for completing the Comrades”.
For the past few years, Photo has been part of one of the most renowned athletics clubs in the country, the Pietersburg Road Runners club.
To prepare for races, Photo has a strict training regime that he does not compromise on. “To prepare for some of my races, I speed-walk three times per week, and I also do endurance training.
I usually jog for two to three hours a day over the course of five days. I cover around 240 km a week. It all depends on what kind of race I’m preparing for,” Photo continued.
He is very excited because he will participate in races on the international calendar for the first time this year. He will travel to Los Alcàzares, Spain for a 100 km World Championship at the end of November.
Photo, along with three other runners will represent South Africa at the championship. “I am looking forward to it and I am quite happy but I am still looking for sponsorship.
“This will be a great opportunity for a company as their logo will be printed on my running gear,” Photo said.
His advice to the youth is for them to stay in school. “There are lots of activities you can take part in such as soccer, athletics, rugby and drama. If you work hard, you can represent your country at big competitions across the world. Stay away from drugs and alcohol.”
He is passionate about the youth and wants more of them to participate in road running. “I’m trying to get sponsors to help kids who want to take part in road running, to help them buy running vests, shorts and running shoes,” Photo concluded.
