Richards Bay runner Nontu Mghabi exceeds her fund-raising goals
Runner uses the Comrades Race the Legends virtual run to raise funds for rural Mtuba families
FIFTY-FIVE needy families in Dukuduku Village in Mtubatuba will soon receive food parcels thanks to ultra-distance runner Nontu Mghabi, who raised a whopping R24 765.60 during her 45km Comrades Marathon virtual run on Sunday.
The Richards Bay athlete will now match that amount from her own pocket, meaning more than R49 000 will be available for the relief project.
‘I am so pleased and grateful for this financial outcome. It was much more than I expected.’
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Mghabi aims to feed more families and urges anyone willing to get involved to email her at nontu.mgabhi@icloud.com.
She also launched a food parcel initiative in May this year at Khiphinkunzi Primary School in Mtubatuba, as many of the children depend on the national school feeding programme to survive.
This fell by the wayside when the national lockdown was implemented.’
This is not the first time this year that Mghabi gave back to the school.
She made history in February when she became the first South African woman to complete the World Marathon Challenge, which saw athletes completing seven marathons (42.2km) in seven continents over seven consecutive days.
She managed to raise enough funds to build five classrooms, an open plan administration office and undertake other renovations.
‘That project would have started in April, but had to be put on hold because of the lockdown.
‘However, I am happy that we will now be able to resume that project.’
The run
On Sunday Nontu, the General Manager of Human Resources at Richards Bay Coal Terminal, finished her 45km run in 3.56.31.
‘I chose to run a section of the actual Comrades Marathon route, as I wanted to feel the agony of those hills. I ran from Camperdown to Lahee Park in Pinetown.
‘The first half of the run was hilly, with the second half being flat and fast.
‘Running on the Comrades route without the pressure of chasing a medal was different, but special, she said.
‘Everyone out on the route was in high spirits, which made it almost spiritual.
‘We did not want a story that ends with the Comrades Marathon becoming a Covid-19 ‘fatality.’
Mghabi has so far completed five Comrades races and says she will be out pounding the road again next year.
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