The SA athletics fraternity is currently mourning the loss of one of its most talented middle-distance athletes, Gira Carstens, who passed away recently. Carstens spent roughly six years in Potchefstroom as an NWU and ACNW (Athletics Central North West) athlete under the tutelage of the coach, Jean Verster. ACNW announced her passing on their Facebook group this week with the news deeply shocking everyone who knew Carstens’ beautiful soul.
On the outside, Carstens was known for her friendliness, work ethic and talent. However, she endured a few well- documented struggles in her athletics journey. Carstens publicly posted on her struggles with depression and an eating disorder. She spent the past month in a Cape Town hospital receiving treatment for her disorder. Her friends started a GoFundMe for her to assist with the medical costs of her recovery process. Her former coach, Jean Verster, is still deeply saddened by Gira’s passing and attests to her talent and bubbling personality as a role model athlete.
“Gira positively touched a lot of people’s lives in Potchefstroom. “She came to Potch in 2012, trained with Caster Semenya and Gena Lofstrand in Potch and was one of the top middle-distance athletes. “It still feels unreal that she is no longer with us,” stated Verster.
One of the things that hampered Carstens during her athletics career was her nagging ankle injuries. “She missed out on the SA Championships when she was in good form due to injuries. It affected her as she put a lot of herself into the sport.”
Carstens eventually decided to end her athletics career and recover from her injuries in 2018. She briefly returned to Potchefstroom late last year. “Gira had the whole world ahead of her and it is immensely sad that she left us so soon,” added Verster.
Here is a link to the original article:
https://potchefstroomherald.co.za/82534/former-acnw-athlete-gone-too-soon/
