Domestic helper Veronica Mtetwa is living her dream as a long-distance runner.
IT’S 3.30 am, the sky is dark, the streets are quiet and everyone in the house and the neighborhood is still in dreamland.
Everyone, that is, except Veronica Mtetwa, who laces up her sneakers, zips up her hoodie and hits the road. She runs through the pain to overcome her challenges and beat poverty – one marathon at a time.
The 34-year-old domestic helper from Ballito in KwaZulu-Natal is rewriting the story of her life. In between tending her boss’ house, doing laundry, cooking for the family of four and caring for the kids, she’s living her passion.
Later this year she’ll head overseas to run in the world’s biggest long- distance race: the New York City Marathon.
Running has changed everything, she tells us. “I didn’t know it would take me to places I only dreamt about.”
Although she started running only in 2014 she already has several marathons under her belt, including the Comrades, Mandela Day, Zululand, Soweto and Two Oceans events.
This year she mentioned in passing to her employers, Jody and Peter Cameron, that she’d like to take part in the New York marathon some day – and things started to happen almost instantly.
Jody created a Facebook page for Veronica called Dreaming Of New York and she’s become something of a sensation. She’s received sponsorships for flights and her entry ticket, a sporting kit of her choice and much more. People have also donated more than R45 000 and counting through crowd funding. And Prodigal Khumalo, who finished eighth in this year’s Comrades, has been roped in to give Veronica speed training.
Now it’s all systems go in preparation for the 5 November race.
Veronica, who dropped out of school in Grade 11 after falling pregnant, is usually up at 3 am and on the road by 4 am.
Denne historien er fra July 27, 2017-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 27, 2017-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life