Hanlie, Cuan and Kaylem clean up at Surfers Challenge

The annual Surfers Challenge a couple of weeks ago saw many eager participants either running competitively or simply for pleasure. As always, there were familiar faces and there were new faces, and this week, we chatted to both… somebody who is incredibly well known in the running community and two brothers who, despite perhaps not being quite as well known, deserve the same recognition for their Surfers success.

Hanlie Botha

Hanlie is somebody most people in East London know of, not only within the running community but in general. She is a wonderful lady who is undoubtedly an inspiration to many. Hanlie won the 10km run of the Surfers, opting for such to avoid injury. She is, it has to be said, quite a machine. She has run competitively for many years, her biggest race being the African Champs in Namibia, a 21km that she ran for South Africa and proudly coming in 8th place.

Born in Johannesburg, Hanlie studied in Pretoria and relocated to East London in 2004. She absolutely loves it here: the climate, the people, the beauty of the place… when I asked if she would ever return to Johannesburg, a firm shake of the head indicated a very definite no.

A mother to two girls, now 4 years and 7 months old, Hanlie was concerned that becoming a mum would mean the end of her running career. She is, of course, absolutely delighted that it hasn’t come to that and she tells me that she is even stronger than ever, beating her best times on numerous occasions. You see, I told you she was a machine. And if you don’t believe me, let me just share with you that Hanlie ran her first race one week after giving birth. Yes, one week. Yes, a machine.

Next on the agenda for Hanlie is the Caltex Border Masters Half-Marathon, followed by the Kempston Ladies Nite Race, both of which are undoubtedly going to be a breeze for her…

Well, we are rather pleased that Hanlie doesn’t have any plans to return to Johannesburg because, quite frankly,  she has become quite the legend in East London. A really lovely, down-to-earth, legend.

Cuan and Kaylem Coetzee

We also chatted to Cuan and Kaylem Coetzee, East London brothers and all-round  good (and super fit!) guys. They both did extremely well in the Surfers Challenge, Cuan coming in at second place (and first male runner overall) in the 10km run from Gonubie to Nahoon and Kaylem also coming in at second place in the 17.5km from Yellowsands  to Nahoon (beating, might I add, many participants from EL running clubs!).

Cuan told us that he usually does the 17.5km but this year he also opted for the 10km to avoid injury – he has the SA Lifesaving Team Trials coming up soon and really didn’t want to jeopardise his chances of making it… he also explained how the second half of the 10km was ideal for him and his training as it involved running on sand. Now to me, running on sand sounds like something that would happen in my worst nightmare but for Cuan, it was a much easier option than clambering over the rocks he would have encountered in the 17.5km – an invitation for an ankle injury for sure. As for Kaylem, he has improved immensely, coming 5^th in last year’s Surfers and now 2^nd this year.

Left: Kaylem Coetzee / Right: Cuan Coetzee

Both Cuan and Kaylem work in the medical field and studied in Durban and Cape Town respectively. They are, however, East London boys through and through and gladly returned home, sharing that this is where their heart is, that the community spirit of our city is second to none and quite unlike any other that they have experienced.

They are the first in their family to work in the medical field with Cuan working as a Chiropractor in Beacon Bay and Kaylem as a Medical Doctor at the Frere Hospital. In their line of work, they are of course, very much into healthy living and they try to promote this as much as they can.

With Kaylem having just had a baby with wife Nicole, he is certainly keeping himself fit and I’m wondering how long it will be before he runs the Surfers with his child… I give him another two years, max 😉 As for Cuan, he is into sports in general and is a regular gym-goer. With both brothers, it is clear to see that they lead healthy lifestyles – despite their hectic work schedules and parenting duties, it’s still evident!  So guys, if you’re looking for some inspiration to give you the get up and go that you might need right now, just take a look at Cuan and Kaylem Coetzee… they are all the inspiration that you will ever need 😉