Cancer warrior rakes in cash for other victims

For most people, completing the Comrades Marathon is enough of a challenge. For others, like Matilda Pieters, the real battle is fought long before the race even starts.

Participants have done all sorts of things over the years to raise funds for charity at the ultramarathon in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Some have run all the way from Gauteng to reach the start line, others have cycled from the Western Cape and yet more have completed the race in reverse before lining up at the start.

One man, Graham Wells, runs the race barefoot.

While Pieters won’t be partaking in any such challenges at next Sunday’s event, she has made a significant impact on the Comrades charity drive by sharing her inspirational story.

The 41-year-old from the Western Cape has won three battles with brain cancer.

First diagnosed in 2013, she had a tumour removed. Pieters went on to line up at the Comrades Marathon in 2016 and again in 2018, achieving bronze medals.

The disease returned in 2019. Another tumour was removed, but it left permanent epilepsy and nerve damage. After six months of rehabilitation her motor functions returned.

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In 2021 the cancer resurfaced and she had chemotherapy for a year. Then the disease went back into remission.

Grateful to the medical professionals, family and friends who cared for her, Pieters aims to give back by joining the Comrades charity drive as she prepares to run the race for the third time.

She had hoped to raise R40 000 for the Childhood Cancer Foundation (Choc), but as of Friday she had raked in R97 510.

Pieters is not alone, with hundreds of people running next week’s race to raise money for good causes, led by Jana Calmeyer who has raised the most – R133 350 – also for Choc.

By Friday, the Race4Charity runners had raised more than R4.3 million for Choc, Childline, Rise Against Hunger, Community Chest, the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust and SANParks Honorary Rangers.