Kathleen and entourage leave town for fishing village

Ms Kathleen Ferreira, regular volunteer at the Standerton parkrun and animal lover, has no intention of forfeiting her enthusiasm for exercise after leaving Standerton.

The Ferreiras were set to go on Thursday, 20 June on a two-day journey of 1 405km to Lamberts Bay, their new home.

Speaking of travelling, their four-legged and feathered companions will travel along, without the companion of the hoofed-variety.

A total of four dogs were on the backseat, four birds in travel cages in the canopy and don’t forget the fish that would have been in the mix somewhere.

Kathleen took precautions for the fish that was in a Styrofoam cooler box with oxygen tablets in the water.

Her horse Aurora, however, is staying behind at stables at the Standerton Show Grounds.

“She is retiring after I had her for 15 years,” Kathleen mentioned.

Kathleen is a Standertonian through and through, went to Standerton Primary School and Hoërskool Standerton before completing a year-long diploma course in equinine stud management and even worked at a cattle station in Australia for a year.

“I had the time of my life,” she said.

After returning to South Africa, she met Morné at the physiotherapist where she worked, romance bloomed and it was love at first sight in 2013, with the couple tying the knot in 2015.

Kathleen became involved with the parkrun last year and has completed 32 runs and 32 stints as volunteer.

Ms Chantelle Lee told her about it and the bug bit her.

Tequila, one of her dogs, has been a faithful friend at all these events.

“The only time I am ready to leave, is when I go to a parkrun,” Morné observed.

She has also joined the parkrun-families in Graaff-Reinet, Vrede, Secunda and Heidelberg, the one closest to town.

When not tending to the animals or doing volunteer work, reading is the obvious choice and preferably those books with some humour in it.

Animation movies as well won’t be frowned upon.

In front of the television, vampires in twilight or the Big Bang Theory will be on the menu, but be careful though, with movies featuring a horse.

“I find fault in them because you will see how a gelding suddenly becomes a mare.”

Her grandparents have left lasting memories with her grandmother jumping out of aeroplane on her 82nd birthday.

Grandfather on the other hand offered his grandchildren good advice when crossing a street:

“Look left and right for cars, up for planes and down for ants.”

Kathleen also collects coffee mugs and confessed to being ‘heilig’ about it.

She is a firm believer that their path forward will turn out well.

“I have blind faith in God about our destiny in that small, fishing village,” she concluded.