I live a life focused on health, athleticism, and general fitness. I believe I have the ability to make a motivated runner extraordinary. I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and have been active since the age of 3 when much to my parent’s horror, determined to swim, I jumped into our swimming pool. I was privileged to grow up in a place considered an athlete’s paradise (mountains, trails, beaches on my doorstep) and in a school system that makes sport part of the curriculum.  I played a variety of sports; field hockey, soccer, netball, track & field (hurdles, long jumps) and competed on the school tennis and swimming teams for many years. I ran numerous 5k and 10k races for fun and frequently cycled before work along the exquisite coastal roads of Cape Town. I grew up with good nutrition habits and from that am knowledgeable about good eating and believe that “we are what we eat” and good nutrition is a big part of our success as an athlete.

10 years ago I took running more seriously. In 2006 after I was invited to join a group of 12 close friends to run the Hood to Coast Relay Race I decided it was time to join a running group. Hood to Coast was an unforgettable experience I will cherish forever.

To date, I have run countless races, been listed in Florida’s Fastest List and placed 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd on many occasions. My first marathon was Toronto in October 2010, where to my surprise I qualified for Boston which I ran in 2011.  The marathon then became my favorite race distance.  I live to attain goals and after Boston my goal was to complete the World Majors. I reached that goal this April after running the London Marathon.

I believe in always doing my best, in pushing myself and never giving up. Training for a marathon is grueling and takes discipline – running the marathon is the fun part.  “When I race, it is not about beating anyone, it is about focusing on myself and doing the best I can.  Training and running 26.2 miles is not just physical but very mental and both have to be in sync to be successful.  I love the mental challenge (which can be applied to other aspects of our lives) and the importance of being in tune with my body.  The race begins at the 18^th mile and the fun starts at the 20^th that is when I feel great and love playing with the speed and excitement of getting to the finish line.  The emotion and joy to cross the finish line of a marathon is the ultimate high. I am extremely passionate about running; the benefits, as well as the rewards and studied the science of running for the past 3 years. My dream is to coach people to reach their running goals through sensible training, good running form and doing this in conjunction with the right nutrition.