UMzimkhulu runner is a surprise package
The uMzimkhulu-born Jenet Mbhele, who surprised a lot of prominent athletes and international runners when she took fourth position in 3:38,00 during the Two Oceans Marathon last Saturday, said she hopes her recent performance will open more doors and be applauded, especially in her rural hometown.
In South African road running circles, Mbhele seems to be something of a surprise package with her penchant for regularly popping up in the top 10 of high-profile ultramarathons.
Last year, the former Webbtown Senior Secondary School (Ixopo) pupil took part in the annual Comrades Marathon for the first time and finished 10th in 6:27,14, in the process becoming the first KwaZulu-Natal female runner home. Again on Saturday, this largely unknown rural girl from uMzimkhulu proved a lot of pundits, commentators and supporters on the route wrong when she made it to the podium unexpectedly.
While she said she was very excited about her personal achievement, the praise must go to her coach Thami Khuboni, her club Xcell Running Club and her sponsors Under Armour. According to her she felt “sidelined and always overlooked” by a lot of potential sporting sponsors, partners and even by her own local municipality.
“I will be very short-sighted and unfair if I don’t mention my club Club Xcell, our management, my sponsors Under Armour and coach Thami Khuboni. All these guys changed my life, taught me a lot and made me a real ultra athlete when I was clueless.
“The majority of local companies, sport shops, the business sector and even my own municipality have been overlooking me for years.
“Honestly, I hope my recent achievement will open doors and more opportunities for me,” said
Mbhele.
She said Khuboni even sacrificed his holidays just to make sure that she was training properly, was fit and mentally ready.
“Just imagine on Christmas Day, Khuboni and I were on the road doing 42,2 km from 5 am around uMzimkhulu. We all know that on Christmas Day we spend quality time with friends and families, but the man walked away from the festivities and sacrificed his time to train me.”
Yesterday, Mbhele revealed that while at school she wanted to play rugby but was rejected by the coach because she was too small.
“I loved rugby and now I still give myself time to watch rugby but unfortunately I was told by one of the educators in charge of rugby at the school that I was too tiny for such sport,” she said.
She then decided to take up athletics at the school but it was so difficult to reach greater heights because of the rural nature of uMzimkhulu and the lack of first-class facilities.
Yesterday, she told The Witness that she went to the Two Oceans Marathon with the aim of just going with the flow and seeing what time she could make. However, when she found she was making good time by the 28 km mark, she changed her mind.
“Remember, I ran it for the first time and did not know what to expect in Cape Town.
“So I was told just to go there, enjoy the race, finish, try my best to clock a decent time and if you make it to the top 20 fine. We were very cautious and I think my team was protecting me.
“To see myself with the top runners in the leading pack was amazing. I felt honoured and then I said to myself, I am still feeling good at the 28 km mark and I might as well compete because I was [surrounded by] the leading pack,” said Mbhele.