Nombuso High School educator, Simphiwe Mshishi Mngwengwe, will take on the 100km Icon’s Journey Marathon in Mthatha, Eastern Cape to show Grade 12 learners that they can achieve 100% in their National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.
The 29-year-old educator based in Port Edward is a runner under the University of Zululand Athletic Club.
He is also a part-time student at the same university studying towards an Honours in Economics.
Originally from Cato Ridge, Mngwengwe said the aim of the Icon’s Journey Marathon is to raise enough funds to provide rural boys and girls school shoes and sports kits, and sanitary pads for girls.
He said by entering the marathon, he wants to teach his learners goal setting: “A marathon requires setting a clear goal, such as completing the race or achieving a target time. Similarly, in life as a learner setting goals helps to focus and provide direction to the desired goal, which for them is to pass matric. Training for a marathon demands discipline and commitment, consistently following a training schedule and pushing through challenges.
These qualities translate into other areas of the life of a Grade 12 learner where dedication and perseverance are necessary. Lastly, to cross the finish line, I will need positive thinking throughout the race, running a marathon is as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. Cultivating a positive mindset, practising self-belief, and overcoming self-doubt are essential elements both in running and life. A positive attitude can contribute significantly to achieving success which is getting a 100% pass rate at Nombuso High.”
He added that his preparations are going well, saying that he feels ready for race day on July 30.
Mngwengwe also recently ran the Comrades Marathon where he earned a silver medal.
He explained that his passion for running started in 2014 while he was working as a gardener in Camperdown near Pietermaritzburg.
“My former employer, Robert took me to run my first official half marathon in Pietermaritzburg and I claimed my first medal, I was so happy that from then on I never looked back. At the end of the Icon’s Journey Marathon, I am hoping to inspire all Nombuso High Grade 12s, and the Ugu District Grade 12s that through passion and dedication, no human is limited, that they can all make it with excellent results in 2024,” he said.
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