UJ runner wins bronze in Italy

The athletes of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) keep bringing home accolades and medals.

This time runner Rachel Leistra helped team South Africa secure third place at the World Student Games which were hosted by Italian city, Naples. Along with Lesego Mpshe and Tyler Beling, Leistra formed the women’s half-marathon team for SA and brought home the bronze.

Leistra, who is from Fourways in Johannesburg, was thrilled to come back with a medal as she had struggled with injury in the build-up to the event and said she did not have any great expectations going to Naples. She said, “I felt I was not where I could have been in terms of fitness and preparation due to these injuries occurring. Unfortunately, I felt the pain in my hip with hip flexion and on impact after 3km into the race and that was tough to block out when running such a long race.”

The fourth year biokinetics student was pleased with her team’s performance and podium finish. “Even though I could not perform how I would have liked, I was so happy to have finished with the team prize, making the team and the coaches proud. To win as a team against the best of the best from around the world was a special feeling and I received great support from my teammates.”

The experience of achieving while suffering with an injury has taught her lessons that she plans to use for the rest of her life. “I was able to push through one of the toughest races I have run which means I can only get better from here. I learnt to ignore the voice in my head saying ‘stop you can’t do this’, even despite being injured.”

Leistra thanked the UJ medical team for all the work they did to help her participate in the competition. She is now turning her attention and focus to a full recovery, greater strength and more achievements.

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