Durban North resident puts her best foot forward for CANSA
Jade De Sousa ran the marathon in memory and honour of her cousin, Jesse, who passed away in 2018 from skin cancer
IN a time where the world faces an unprecedented crisis in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic, it also presented some residents with an opportunity to take unprecedented action.
This much is true for Durban North resident, Jade De Sousa, who recently ran the length of the Berlin Marathon (in and around Durban) for a cause close to her heart.
De Sousa ran the marathon in memory and honour of her cousin, Jesse, who passed away in 2018 from skin cancer and through her efforts she raised R26 000 for the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA).
“I had planned to take part in this year’s Berlin Marathon (originally scheduled for 27 September) before the Covid-19 pandemic led to its cancellation. I had run a few short races prior to hard lockdown and I wanted to run a marathon this year for a cause.
In other news: WATCH: Durban North resident runs 100 half marathons in 100 consecutive days
“I then decided to run for my cousin, Jesse, not only to honour his memory but also to raise funds and awareness for CANSA. He was diagnosed at the age of 21 and fought skin cancer for five years before he passed away in 2018. “It had been two years since his passing and I decided to run my own marathon around Durban. When I began to set up the fundraising initiative, my initial target was R10 000 but the support from friends, family and colleagues was just incredible. I knew this year has been difficult for everyone so I wasn’t expecting to raise R26 000,” she said.
De Sousa said it was emotional final kilometres leading to the finish at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“My family and friends made the run so special for me. My aunt, Jesse’s mom and his brother also came down for the weekend to be part of the run and that was incredibly special. My dad also organised a banner of the Brandenburg Gate printed on it which was awesome. In the Berlin Marathon runners normally pass under the gate to the finish so that was fantastic to see.
“I was truly appreciative of all those who helped support me on and off the road. I had asked those who would like to join me for the some mileage to join me on route and had people running parts of the way with me for the full 42.2kms. My boyfriend cycled the whole distance with me and I finished the distance with a personal best 3 hours and 29 minutes,” she said.
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