Kathy tackles Comrades for charity

RUNNER, Kathy Naylor, will be taking on her third Comrades Marathon on 29 May, to raise funds for the Community Chest, a charity close to her heart,

Kathy, who already has one Comrades under her belt, said she was feeling confident this year and is hard at work fundraising for this year’s race.

“I decided to do something for the community we run through, and Community Chest is very active in the area. I am passionate about early childhood development and the money I raise will go to help these children in the first five years of their education,” she said.

Kathy, who was never a runner, started running five years ago following a fitness challenge.

“We were challenged to do something in six months, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to lose weight or stop smoking, so I decided to run. I ran 10km in three months, and two half marathons in six months. I thought I could do a Comrades marathon, as it was only four half marathons, but it was tougher than I thought! I completed my first Comrades in 2014 and really enjoyed it. It’s amazing, it’s really about true relationships with people helping each other along. It really gives one a sense of confidence, to have completed something like that!” she said.

Kathy has been training hard for this year’s marathon, and runs three times a week.

“On the weekend I do longer runs, with a 15km run on a Saturday and 25km run on a Sunday. I’ve had good training and running for Hillcrest Villagers I get a lot of hill training. The first 40km of the Comrades is uphill, although this is a down run. I’m looking forward to the race, and raising funds for Community Chest. I have trained hard and I aim to stick it out and make it on the day. It is a dream to finish again, even though it’s not easy by any means!” she said.

Kathy is aiming to raise R10 000 through her run. She has raised around R9 000 to date.

If you can help support her in her fundraising effort, contact her on 082 550 7705.