Hermanus parkrun legend
Willie Loedolff, affectionately known as “Oom Willie”, is a legend in his age category at the Hermanus parkrun.
Not only did he recently complete his 200th park run at the age of 91, but he also performed 102 volunteer tail walker duties. A tribute to Oom Willie on the Hermanus parkrun Facebook page reads: “It is also amazing to note that he has run 76 times in the VM 90–94 age category, the third-highest in the world.” A proud achievement indeed!
Oom Willie says he enjoys being part of the community of Hermanus parkrunners on a Saturday morning. “My health is of utmost importance to me. I believe when you retire you should get good exercise and stay active. Although old age affects your muscles, hearing and memory, the parkrun is one of the events which has encouraged me to keep active. Personal times at my age are not that important, but yes, it is also good for the ego to keep track of my records,” says Oom Willie.
He was a roadrunner since 1983, participating in all distances, from 10km to 100km, achieving SA grade records in most of them. He also participated in master athletics in the 800m, 1 500m, 2 000m steeplechases, 5 000m and 10 000m, again achieving SA age-grade records. Besides many other national road running events, he also completed 13 Comrades Marathons.
Oom Willie adds: “My message to parkrunners and walkers is that parkrun gives you the opportunity to exercise and to improve your health out in the fresh air. Training during the week is important as it makes the actual parkrun more enjoyable. People often think they are not able to participate, but your body and mind are much stronger than you think – don’t just give up. Keep going and eventually, your fitness level will increase and the 5 km will become easy. Besides the health benefits, participating in the parkrun is a wonderful way to get away from a busy life, meet new people and enjoy nature.”
Congratulations, Oom Willie, you are a true inspiration!
It would be interesting to know if any of the other parkruns has a legend like Oom Willie.