SINCE becoming a fully-fledged Amanzimtoti Athletics Club member in January, Fredrika Coetzee, 63, affectionately known as Koekie, participated in about six races and will soon take on another in the SPAR Women’s 5/10km Challenge on June 22. It will mark her first attempt of the iconic Durban race.

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Koekie caught the running bug late in life as a way to keep healthy and stay fit. “I did not want to sit at home like a ‘couch potato’,” she joked. “I decided I have to do something. Around five years ago, I started socially running with the athletics club. Bit by bit, I wanted to do more and more. I loved it. You are your own competition. You compete against yourself. In my first 10km run, I completed it in 1:35:00. I knew I could do better and shaved off 10 minutes on my next attempt,” she said.

The Amanzimtoti resident said most of her friends came from her time running socially, and she says it is an excellent way to meet all kinds of people and socialise.

“When I first started, I used to just start running, but now, even when I go on walks around Hutchison Park, I stop by and warm up with the outdoor gym there. I do a lot of stretching before doing any run. I am aiming to complete the Women’s Challenge in 1:15:00,” said Koekie.

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