Runner with albinism goes all out for race
Nombewu all set for Cape Town Marathon
IN A few days time, 39-year-old Vuyokazi Nombewu of Gugulethu will hit the tar along with thousands of other local and international runners, tackling the 42.4km Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
Setting her apart from the vast majority is the fact that she has albinism and is visually impaired – neither of which has prevented her from going all out to achieve her athletic goals.
Growing up in Gugulethu, Nombewu realised at an early age that regular exercise would be a soothing escape from her sometimes painful reality, and began jogging for about 20 minutes twice a week.
This escape, and a feeling of vitality and achievement that followed, gave her the courage to accept her vulnerabilities and a desire to achieve more.
“Running helped me let go of fear and self-doubt and what people may or may not have thought of me,” she said.
As Nombewu’s confidence grew, she decided to join a running club.
Initially she thought a club for visually impaired people would be the obvious choice, but she then realised that she wanted the same highs and lows that any other runner would experience, so she joined the RCS Gugulethu Athletic Club.
“I felt vulnerable because of my low vision, but the friends I formed in the running club were incredible and before long I wanted to do longer-distance running.”
Running club mates began taking turns to run alongside Nombewu and support her.
Her confidence grew even more, propelling her to start competing in half and full marathons around the country.
Nombewu is part of a two-member team from Ocal Global, a nonprofit organisation that empowers differently abled people to reach their goals and become agents of change in their communities, and which will be taking part in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
The other member, Nicolene Anley, the founder of Ocal Global, will be taking part in the 10km Peace Run linked to the marathon.
“I’m running this marathon to celebrate life,” Nombewu said.
“It’s a privilege to participate in these races because they give me the gift of movement.”
She will also be using the prestigious IAAF Gold Label-status Cape Town Marathon, as a means to qualify for the 2020 Comrades Marathon.
“Like normal people would say, ‘The sky is the limit’, and why should it be any different for us with disabilities?
“I hope that by running the Cape Town Marathon, I can show my fellow differently abled South Africans that anything is possible, that anyone can reach their full potential,” Nombewu added. The Cape Town Marathon, Africa’s “must-run” city marathon, will this year host its strongest and most ambitious elite marathon-runner field to date, with no fewer than 17 IAAF Gold Label elite athletes taking part.
The marathon follows two days of back-to-back running action, including 5km, 10km, and 12km and 22km peace runs.
For more information regarding all the action this weekend, visit www. capetownmarathon.com