Hazel, mother of three and Elizabeth, mother of two are two of seven sisters. Three of their sisters are runners, but they used to be quite happy to stand on the pavement and cheer them on.

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"After doing the minimum sport at school, we were busy with our jobs, working overtime, raising our children and running our households. We did not even think of running marathons!"

Both Hazel and Elizabeth struggled with ill health. Hazel went on a long overseas holiday where she gained a lot of weight. On her return she was diagnosed with hypertension and high cholesterol. Elizabeth had always been sickly. "Colds, flu, adenoid and sinus problems - you name it, I had it!" She had also put on weight over the years.

Enough is enough!
They both reached a point where they had enough of being ill and feeling overweight. It was time to make a move...and move, did they!

The Sports Science Institute of South Africa launched a programme called "CHIPS" (Community Health Outreach Programme), which focuses on bringing health and fitness values to the community. Individuals are tested, measured and assessed. When Hazel discovered that her BMI fell in the "obese" category, she immediately joined the walking programme. Elizabeth joined her.

After a while their sisters encouraged them to start running. That became their next goal. At first they could not even complete a single kilometre without stopping for breath, but soon they managed 2km, 5km and 10 km without walking in between. Their first big race was the 1999 SAD Half marathon, which was followed by the half marathons in the Strand and Durbanville.

After that, Hazel and Elizabeth entered more races and they completed the "Bay-to-Bay" (30km), the Redhill Classic (36km) and the Old Mutual Cape Town Marathon (42km).

They decided to take their success a step further and entered several road races. Within a year they both completed the gruelling Two Oceans Marathon (56km) - indeed a major achievement!

"We were so proud to see our results in the newspaper. It was an amazing feeling. Then we thought to ourselves...if we can complete the Two Oceans, what is stopping us from doing the Comrades?"

Comrades
And so they did! They entered and booked their seats on the train to Durban. Hazel said that she was happy to be part of the excitement, but Elizabeth recalls feeling scared when standing at the starting line. They thought: "Finish, not time!"

During the run, they were amazed at the wonderful support they received from the spectators along the route. They both agree that the camaraderie experienced amongst the runners that day was something that they will never forget.

Between 50 - 65km, Hazel and Elizabeth both felt fatigued, but when they reached the 70km mark, they knew that they could do it! They just knuckled down and fed off the encouragement they received from the crowd. When they entered the stadium, Hazel felt as if she was flying towards the finish line. Elizabeth remembers feeling sad for not having her family there to share in this great moment.

"There is something special about the race and we are definitely doing it again", said Elizabeth.

They are fortunate in that their sister, Cynthia, is an experienced runner. Over the years she has consistently finished in the Top 10 women at the Two Oceans. She has completed many Comrades marathons and knows what it means to "embrace the pain". She trains very hard and always competes to do her best. Hazel and Elizabeth on the other hand, does it for the fun. They want to enjoy every moment and "just complete the race".

Health benefits
Since they have started walking and running, Hazel and Elizabeth have both lost 12kg and they feel much healthier than ever before. Physically they have more energy and manage to cope with more things. Mentally, they have both experienced an inner strength and confidence, which has helped them in their everyday lives.

Through the example they have set in their community, more and more people have joined Optifit and CHIPS. We will be following their progress and we wish them well.

For more information about Optifit and CHIPS, call: 021 - 659 5600. - (Heidi-Lee Pauw)
 

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