For many people, running is purely a source of exercise, but for Nandi Zaloumis-Mitchell, it’s her escape.
“It’s my form of relaxation and meditation. When I run, I think of nothing (apart from sometimes when I think of how I’m hurting).”
Her love for running started at an early age but as she grew older, running became more of a passion. Nandi has run the Comrades numerous times and even finished twentieth in 2018 in 7hrs21mins, earning herself a silver medal in the process. Despite this momentous achievement, Nandi hopes to go one better and achieve a gold.
“It’s a very big dream and requires a lot of input, not just from me but from all those who help as well.
“I would also like to run the Western States 100miler but that will have to wait until I have reached my Comrades goal.”
For now though, Nandi is recovering from an injury and hopes to be injury free soon. “I have been very fortunate in all my years of running that I have been injured only for a week or two at a time.
“However, last year February, I picked up hamstring tendon injury that has put my running dreams on hold. I dropped out of Oceans and Comrades last year due to it. I battled with it until September when I came across a rehab centre in Hilton called Movewell. With their help I slowly started getting back into running. I realised then what a big part of my life running was.”
Without lockdown initially limiting how much people could exercise, athletes had to find new ways to adapt. For Nandi, this meant mowing a path in her horses’ paddock just so she can complete laps. She’s also spent some of her other free time with her horses, who she describes as her children.
As a qualified accountant who runs her business from home, free time is somewhat of a luxury. She also helps her husband, Jody Mitchell with his loss adjusting business, beginning her work days at 2am just to fit everything in. On weekends she gets to sleep in a bit later and only starts at 3:30am.
Despite having a busy workload, Nandi always finds time to run. “Running levels the playing field. In a running vest there is no difference between a CEO and a cleaner. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, what you drive, or who you are in the world.
“You have to run the route on your own steam.”
With plenty of steam powering her, Nandi can’t wait to get back onto the road and make her running dreams come true again.
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