Yellowwood Park runner puffs for a different reason
I've come a long way from smoking everyday to going cold turkey and picking up my running shoes.
FROM smoking two packs of cigarettes a day to running his first Comrades Marathon this Sunday, 10 June, Yellowwood Park native Neil Jonker can say he is making it in life.
While he is nervous for the ultra marathon which is often billed as the Ultimate Human Race, Neil is excited and well prepared to face the grueling challenge that await him at the starting line on Sunday.
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In preparation for the Comrades, Jonker conquered his inaugural Two Oceans Marathon and the South Coast Marathon.
His training and preparation has been an uphill battle, but an essential one for every prospective Comrades runner. “I’ve come a long way from smoking everyday to going cold turkey and picking up my running shoes. I basically replaced one addiction with another,” he laughed. It has been about four years now since Neil picked up a cigarette and he has never looked back. “I’m healthier, happier and I can share my passion for running with my two young children, who have already taken up the hobby,” he added.
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He is counting down the days until the firing gun heralds the start of the Comrades, which he hopes to complete in good time. “I run not because I have to but because I enjoy it. Although I have my days when I don’t feel like running, I have to push myself. You have to push yourself to go where you need to be in life. Be your own motivation,” he added.
He encourages aspiring runners to prioritise breakfast as the most important meal of the day as it is your fuel to kickstart you.
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