“A prophet has no honor in his own home…” 

A statement that rings true more often than not. Well except in cases where the prophet comes in the form of ballad makers like Justin Bieber or wealthy business moguls of one caliber or another and it is 5 years after establishing one’s career.

 I am thankful to the many that have shown support, by cautioning the somewhat crazy individuals like myself against taking on more than a mouthful. Negative thoughts fester and when entertained, they can become debilitating. However, I choose to feed negative thoughts to fear, not in a bid to fuel fear but rather in a gesture of defiance that will nauseate fear to the point of bringing up courage.

The realization that Mission Possible Comrades Back to Back is upon us is more evident than ever. As the last few days go by, the anxiety mounts and courage is tempted to travel down the easy road marked "Give up!". 174 km in less than 24 hours may be no mean feat especially for a novice running this distance for the first time, but what stands to be gained is more worthy of dwelling upon.  

News reports in the past week alone, of children who are either perpetrators of crime or victims of it, wrenches at the gut of anyone who has the ability to feel. Running the Comrades Marathon twice this weekend is not just a sporting indulgence but the cry of a heart pleading with every individual to take a moment and make a difference.

Financial contributions will go a long way in furthering the activities of organizations such as Newkidz on the Block for whom I run. However, change will come when men and women lay aside the reasons not to do something and just do it. Just sacrifice a weekend to show a child what it is like to be loved. Just take a few moments to teach a child little things that show them they are worthy and here for a purpose. Just write a letter, pick up the phone or visit those who feel forgotten and forsaken. Change will come, when we see the dreams that could be born with the right foundation instead of just a statistic.

I run because I envision millions of dreams coming true, not because of what I or a few individuals have done but because of what you will do. I run carrying millions of dreams, afraid that if I stop, they may never reach maturity. I run as a page, a mere message bearer of good tidings. Our future is bright, not because of this simple gesture but because you hold the wax to make it shine. Please join me on the 174km journey, in mind, heart and spirit as we carry forward the hope that all children, our children will be raised lovingly and that the broken may find healing for a better tomorrow.

Comrades from far and wide

With less than a week to go before the 88^th Comrades Marathon, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has issued its Substitution and 2013 Entry statistics for the June 2^nd event.

This year’s ‘up-run’ from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, has attracted a total of 19,722 entrants, with male entrants totalling 15,383 and female participants coming in at 4,339.

The month-long Substitution Process has yielded 729 successful Substitution applications.

Women’s participation in the great race has been maintained at 22%. The CMA’s goal is to grow the female entry tally to 30% in the next five years.

4295 Novices have entered the race while a record number of International participants will be taking on the 89km road-running challenge. 1422 foreign runners from nearly 70 countries have signalled their intention to take on the world’s oldest and biggest ultra-marathon, as opposed to 1374 in last year’s race.

The average age of Comrades male participants in this year’s race is 41 and 40 for female runners.

CMA Race Director, Johan Van Staden says, ‘We expect between 15,000 and 16,000 runners at the Comrades Start at 05h30 outside the Durban City Hall on Sunday, 2 June. As usual, we are prepared to host another fantastic Comrades Race Day.’

Yet another "Mission Possible"

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. While some say faith is blind, I believe faith has eyes that see beyond reason. Faith sees possibility where many see failure. Faith sees a way where obstacles mount and restrictions inhibit the individual from being. Faith is what prompted me to take on yet another grueling challenge as part of the Mission Possible campaign to create awareness about Newkidz on the Block as well as raise funds for their projects. 

As a fundraising activist for Newkidz,  I have faith that one day, South Africa will no longer be home to millions of orphans but rather a nation where all children are placed in loving homes and raised to become the best they can possibly be.

It is faith in our future that compelled me to run the Comrades Marathon back to back. On the 1^st of June, the night before the official Comrades Marathon race, I will set off from Pietermaritzburg for the first leg of a double Comrades in 24 hours. Upon arrival in Durban on the morning of the 2^nd of June, I will join close to 20,000 athletes as they take on the official Ultimate Human race which starts in at the Durban and finishes in Pietermaritzburg. The Comrades Marathon 2013 is an up run, a difficult hilly route which will be a test of physical and mental strength but the race is not my own. I will be running it with over 3 million orphans in mind. At present, South Africa is home to over 3.5 million orphans and the number is set to increase to over 5 million by 2015.

It is this realization that makes me feel the urgency to act now. If we don’t take action now, millions of children will grow up to become broken members of society. By running this race twice, I am hoping people will come alongside these children, either as mentors, foster parents or even adopt the children because Newkidz believes there is no such thing as an unwanted child but just an unfound family. However, we understand that not everyone is able to adopt or foster a child, but we call upon members of society to give whatever they can towards this cause. Whether it is financial support or volunteering to help out at the extreme makeovers Newkidz conducts regularly.

To support Mission Possible please visit www.newkidz.org.za and click on: Support Edeline

Mission Possible Comrades Back to Back

 Patience if a virtue I do not claim to naturally possess but one that I have had to cultivate. Next to the patience patch, is a bed filled with hope. Hope that come the 2nd of June, I will be able to embark on a journey that will perhaps bring more change to the lives of many more orphans and vulnerable children  As much as I detest the term "orphan" it is a reality that cannot be denied. A reality that is not only prevalent in South Africa, but across the Sub-Saharan African region, where many are plagued by HIV/AIDS. 

In my garden of hope, grows many varieties. Some varieties more fruitful than others but each one playing its art in keeping the garden alive. While I wait patiently for permission to run the Comrades Marathon back to back and at this stage with no sign whatsoever of the trip coming together, I continue watering the few seeds I planted in days past. Like any sower, I wait for that day when the ground breaks and the shoots of hope are evident but then again, what is faith...the substance of things hoped for...the evidence of things not seen.

Hope differed may make one wroth at heart, yet I hang onto that invisible glimmer of which I am reminded with every heart beat.

A flicker, another flutter...as long as the heart beats, hope is not lost.

Hope that I will run this for the millions of children who cannot win the race against poverty themselves.

Hope that the body and mind will carry their frustrations, that their future lives may be far much better than their present. Hope that they may not be trapped in a vicious cycles, that draws them deeper and deeper into the womb of pain and misery, never to be birthed.

I have hope that this simple gesture, will be just a nip in the bud of the many challenges that lay ahead and takes away the innocence of childhood. 

I have hope that each one of the 174km will be a victory for each and every one of the over 3.7 million orphans in the country. 

I have even more hope that for every mile I run, one child will find a loving home and experience what it is to be loved and cared for.

Bleed and heal

A land so fair yet her people's hearts are wroth with pain. Pain whose pangs are evident in the hunger and illness Mother Africa's children suffer daily. Ailed by violence her children cry out, yet their cries fall on deaf ears. Perhaps Mama's children speak a language undecipherable to the rest of the world. Perhaps the weary cries have become all too familiar, rendering what they resound, to be of no consequence.  A land where possibilities abide in abundance, yet her fertility is eroded by tears awash her countenance.

Africa bleeds, I bleed, does anyone hear?

A gaping wound long inflicted

Festering with a puss my all corrupts

Resistance rising mingled with blood

Tears long shed their meaning lost

Voices choked to silence by lies

The wound throbs a broken wince

Galleys abreast where hope once laid

Draining with them substance to enrich

Barrenness dousing the desire to birth

Offspring a mere figment of dreams past

Aflame with yearning yet to possess cannot

The wound throbs a feeble wince

Thrones upon rolling hills manicured

Watered by sweat from children spent

Songs of praise turned venomous slander

Thundering feet unable to dance so plunder

Melodies once known long forgotten

The wound throbs a stifled wince

Gagged by toxins through scarred veins

Looking unto scales unjustly inclined

Paying a price dear for which is owned

Hands tied by inequality dipped chords

Disinheriting and stripping rightful heirs

The wound throbs alighting defiance

Journey to the West

I can hardly call myself a morning person, let alone am I an early riser. I could attribute this to being a very light sleeper and something of an insomniac but due to my defiance to being labelled anything other than Monsieur Columbus' sidekick or the very least, Shakespeare's apprentice, I will rest my case at "I have trouble waking up in the morning"

So as one can imagine, waking up at 2am on Saturday 20 April was no exception. I wasn't whistling a tune, neither was I fully aware of what I was doing up at such an ungodly hour. However, a shower always does the trick and in no time, I was trying to force some left over baguette with peanut butter down my throat. With my digestive system slightly in shock, I continued the motions of getting ready for another momentous occasion. 

Every race I have run has had some significance, great or small but this year's Weskus Marathon came with a lot more. Not only did it come a few days after the Boston Marathon bombings but it was a reminder of the reason I run. Pleased that I wouldn't have to drive, I found myself the passenger of probably the best running club shuttle ever. The Afrikaans chatter that went on around me, reminded me of the television show I watched as a child growing up, "Journey to the west". Though the show had English subtitles, one cannot help but marvel at how language can be a key or barrier to communication. Sitting there listening to Afrikaans folk chatter away, was like trying to decipher Morse Code amidst blazing guns and exploding grenades for a novice ear. Once in a while I caught a phrase or two but for the most part, I was lost in translation so I resolved to take a snooze.

The race in itself needed no interpretation, a straight forward route that took you to the finish. A moment of silence held for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings and we were all set to go. We had to run our hearts out for those who could not run for themselves. The sights around us, dreams that others would have loved to see for life has placed upon them one permanent restriction or another. Pondering upon these thoughts, the desire to press on despite the pain and weariness, was awakened. Undulating through the West-coast National Park, the route had its way, taking both seasoned runner and novice to the same destination - home.

3 hours and 48 minutes later, elation - a personal victory. A victory for those who inspire me daily. Those long gone and those recently lost. The fallen comrades some who remain unsung. The dreams that were meant to be lived but were cut short. I breathe deeply once again, as I sit and listen to Afrikaans chatter on the way back. I am sure I recognised a familiar word "hard-loop" or something along those lines. concluding my journey to the west. 

Safety at the Comrades Marathon

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has sent a message of support to the organisers of the Boston Marathon, as well as the runners and families of the victims after the event was rocked by two bomb blasts on Sunday, 14 April 2013. 

In a statement released by the CMA, Chairman Dave Dixon, empathised with the organisers of the Boston Marathon, saying: “The CMA can identify with the myriad risk and safety challenges race directors all over the world face because of the nature of road races being mass-based events and generally supported by hundreds of thousands of supporters and spectators at the start and finish of the events, as well as along the race route.”

“These circumstances leave the events vulnerable to these kinds of attacks and makes it all the more challenging to stage and manage”, he added. 

In light of the concerns raised about the safety of runners at the upcoming Comrades Marathon, CMA Race Director Johan Van Staden has assured Comrades Marathon entrants that the CMA has a tried and tested security system in place to ensure the safety of all Comrades Marathon athletes, supporters and spectators during the 2013 Comrades Marathon.

“Over the last 20 years, the CMA has maintained stringent risk and safety measures to protect the event against any kind of disaster.  A key measure entails a bomb sweep at the Comrades Marathon Start and Finish Venues”, he added.  The bomb sweep is carried out by the SA Police Services Bomb Squad.

Van Staden stated that “everyone is evacuated from the Start and Finish Venues of the Comrades Marathon from about 01:00 (am) on race day in order to conduct the bomb sweep. Thereafter, the premises are locked and guarded until control of the venue is handed over to the Head of the Comrades Marathon private security contractor, Bhejane Special Events Security.”

Van Staden went on to assure Comrades Marathon athletes, supporters and spectators alike that “the CMA will continue to work closely with the SA Police Services and Bhejane Special Events Security to protect the Comrades Marathon against any kind of attack or activity that will jeopardise the safety of runners, supporters or spectators”.