Fifty-nine year old Maria Malatji from Shikwambane village in Mohlava Cross, just outside Tzaneen says she has set her life on running as a way of not only keeping fit but fighting illnesses too.
Malatji started running in 2014 under ward 27 and has always managed to take first place in the marathon’s she has ran.
“When I first started it was more of a thing to challenge myself but now I see it as more than that,” Malatji told Letaba Herald.
Malatji says that she has recently started a new exercise routine wherein she leaves her village at 05:00 and arrives in Tzaneen at 07:15.
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“Because I start working at 08:00, it gives me enough time to freshen up just before I start my shift,” she explained.
When asked why she prefers taking this route to get to work, she told Herald that it is the only way she can prepare herself for her marathon runs as she only competes in 21km races.
“As much as the distance may seem like a lot, it really isn’t something I would give up on. Yes it is challenging to go up the Mokgoloboto road as it is a little steep, but it only helps me train for such courses because one can never be too sure what type of area they will be running in with these marathons,” she exclaimed.
She currently holds seven medals to which the recent one is from the Spring Opener that was held at Tzaneen Lifestyle Center on Saturday, August 31 where she came third from the ladies 21km run.
She will be taking part in the upcoming marathon which will be held in Polokwane on Saturday, October 26.
Being a mother of six, Malatji stated that her fitness routine has left a lot of people confusing her with her children as she has such a petite body and easily fits into looking a lot younger than she really is.
“Having been born and raised in the villages, it is only a sign of good manners when one passes by a house and greets to show respect. However, sometimes the youth don’t do so as they often confuse me to be the same age-mate as my older children,” she said while laughing.
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She further told Herald that she joins marathons through the help of Jonathan Machimana who always informs her child about marathons that she may be able to take part in.
“I don’t always have the financial means to join all the marathons. As it is, I am simply doing this for myself and my well-being and it has proven to be helpful for me. I don’t see myself stopping but it does become challenging when you have a passion to do something but just can’t get it done,” she explained.
Malatji spoke more about her preparation for the upcoming marathon run in Polokwane.
“I always make sure I push myself to breaking my own record sometimes. When I am not running to work, I use that time to run as far as the Burgersdorp crossing and because I don’t want myself to get used to running one route, I also run to the Ledzee stop just before entering Tzaneen. I find changing routes to be exciting and offers better preparation for any obstacle that may occur in a marathon,” she concluded.
