Gerda Steyn crosses the finish line to win the Comrades Marathon for the third time in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday. Picture: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
Long-distance star runner Gerda Steyn has had a remarkable year.
That the South African golden girl broke the women’s record in the gruelling Comrades marathon on Sunday – after doing the same at the Om Die Dam and Two Oceans marathons earlier this year – is no mean feat.
ALSO READ: Gerda Steyn shatters record to secure third Comrades victory
And when you thought she would pack her bags for a well-deserved break somewhere in Bali, our Gerda is packing her running gear for Paris, where she’s setting her sights on Olympic glory.
Mind you, the Games start in just six weeks’ time. And while most elite ultra-distance runners wouldn’t race more than two or three times a year, Steyn felt she could handle the quick turnaround in preparation for the standard marathon race at the Olympics.
“It is a challenge that I’ve set myself. I know nobody has ever attempted running Comrades and the Olympics in the same year, but I feel really blessed that I’ve got this opportunity.”
We believe she can and we are firmly behind her as she flies the South African flag even higher.
ALSO READ: Gerda Steyn wins 2024 Comrades Marathon
Don’t we need such incredible news as our country is at the crossroads, trying to find itself?
Steyn, who holds the national record over the standard 42.2km distance, is one of three women in the South African team for the Olympic marathon.
Gerda, no matter how you fare in Paris, you make us super proud to be a South African.
