1. Aunty Sherina, you are an extremely inspirational woman to us at WSMC. Please tell the readers about your sporting journey. First as an cricket administrator?
   
   

Strangely , I was never good in any form of sport in my schooling days , I developed an interest in cricket from my late uncle who made us watch games in Fietas (Vrededorp) and later  Lenasia Stadium and The Tech facility in Lenasia (Provincial Games).

I married into a cricketing family , the knowledge of the game developed while serving the lads lunches and teas during the lunch & tea breaks. In those days players from the visiting teams  were taken home by members of the home team for lunch and teas after a day’s play. Many hours were spent discussing the pulls, hook shots , cover drives ,straight drives, short deliveries and catches. I have to say bonds were formed around these gatherings , many great players and administrators  of the highest ranking crossed our paths .

In between scoring for the provincial teams playing in Lenasia , I clear remember carrying the teas to the facilities for the tea breaks. This was prepared at family homes and taken to venues as the facilities did not have dining halls.

The passion continued , as my son played from a then Bakers cricket  to higher levels. I was the present  mum , coach ,transporter (as many as 10 kids in the vehicle) caterer and friend to many players .Some days were tear jerkers , others frustrating but most of the days were filled with joy , laughter and great memories.

The training into an administrator role is a natural course for most females. You feed , you transport, you score , you listen, you cry and the list goes on , this I think was my training to the Administration part of my life. A women is capable of acting and serving any situation she is faced with.

2. Secondly and most importantly, as a pioneer in your community as a long distance runner ?

There was never a dream/intention of being  a runner or an endurance runner in my vision  , my walking slogging and running , once again was never planned.

Life happens.

One of my dear friends from Lenasia AC asked me to assist on a project that they were working on and obviously ,volunteers were always needed.(no skill was required to be a volunteer) The project was to get kids to run and keep fit for cross country events, we had kids from affluent families and those coming in from the informal settlements of Lenasia. The instruction to me was , let them run around the stadium , job done. Being fit was a natural part of me ,to develop young bodies and minds in getting fit was a field not tested or tried by me.  My conscious obviously got the better of me , for one , I could not expect from them what I could not do , and whose time was I wasting.

Yes , the kids ran , but we ran , huffed and puffed together to achieve our goals of 1km to 5km for the cross country events and keeping fit.

It was during this time that the Comrades Marathon Association had opened a window to increase their participation numbers to mark the new millennium , increasing the cut off times of qualifiers and the Comrades Marathon cut of time for that year.

I attempted my first marathon with the only weapon in the bag of walking  , The Township Marathon qualifying by literally a few minutes to spare, and so  journey started.

People are my inspiration , I believe if I get one good smile on my run, training or race my day is blessed. The sights on a run , a garage attendance , a hawkers selling their wares ,people going to work/school, each and every one of them contribute to my day.

I always say , if I can bring a smile to one face , I have delivered.

3. How many Comrades Marathon races have you ran? Why do you keep going?

I have a sister in law and a group of her club friends who support me on Comrades Day - 15 plus years going to date , they echoes the same words, “ are we going to be doing this until you 80 “ and we in wheelchairs or supported by walking aids.

I have  15 official medals to my name and two unofficial finishers where I  missed cut off of 11 hours by a few minutes

The years that were unofficial were my mental grit , they were years 2 and 3, after having officially failed twice in succession , I cannot to date believe I attempted to go and try again , what was I thinking or smoking .

Why do I do it  ?

The list is endless ,the thrill the adrenaline , the challenge,  the bonds formed , the unity, the love shared between strangers ,living for the moment, pain, tears, sweat and compassion .

The journey , the passion the emotion that money cannot buy

You must feel it and taste it to understand , it strips you, it levels you mentally , it humbles you , it tantalizes your humility .It keeps you grounded.

Every memory of the journey becomes a steppingstone in your everyday life moving into the future.

The Comrades Marathon is my mental grid for all that life throws at me.(emotionally and physically) and I could go on ……..

4. You have an inspiring story. Could you speak to us about one single event in your life that you really cherish and brings goosebumps to you, when you think about it.

There are many , sports related and other.

One that stand out to me and stills brings the goosebumps is Comrades 2016.

Mentally and physically  depleted you at the top of Polly’s (your most challenged hill)  and this voice of knowledge or ignorance impresses on your dead brain that you have to run the balance of the course plus/minus 7 km at 6 minutes a km in order to make cut off.

If you a slow runner you know that this is not possible.

But the believe does not fail you.

Cold eyes , grey faces, tied bodies ,dead brain cells, stupidity and silence surrounds you. A group close to 30 , I think take off.

We run in silence with the occasional glare of hope and the expression  “don’t you dare stop “ no words as energy was a valued necessity for survival.

Yes , I made it , a body not in balance , but still with a sense of humour to ask the mayor who was literally seconds away , with gun in hand , to indicate the  finish to Comrades 2016 , are you waiting for me , the response , a stern face , with an urgent and forceful command ‘get over the damn  line ‘

Not realizing the impact of the achievement or the expectations of others , the stories reflected after the event carry the weight of the performance.

My family at home who had gathered to watch me on TV and put final plans in place for a family wedding , mum , children , cousins , aunties and uncles  ,  had actually switched off the TV and were all in silence and tears , devastated by the news that I will not cross the line in time , as they had received the SMS of  estimated time of completing the race being after the final cut off .Tissues in hand a silent prayer of ’ how do we deal with her now’  Please spare us.

The tears of disappointment and sadness turned out to be a great party , I heard.

The achievement of crossing that line when all odds were against me ,where I made the impossible , possible ,  is the one moment I will cherish forever

5. 2020 has been a year to remember regarding the COVID_19 Pandemic. How has the pandemic effected you positively?

The pandemic and lockdown petrified me. The challenges were like the foam of the ocean, I was drowning with fear not of COVID 19 but my the destruction of my “NORMAL”

My routine , my work , my interaction , my everyday surroundings had literally drowned within hours of the announcement of the LOCKDOWN.

Normal to me was – live at work , go home to sleep.

The lockdown thought me differently , live at home , make your home your comfort zone , your centre , generate the link of positivity from this centre to feed into the balance of your day.

What I took for granted pre COVID 19 has become a privelage.

My state of fitness – running around the affluent Northern suburbs with its greenery was no more , my back yard had to suffice. I achieved the exact goals that I set out , Mind over matter.

No Woolies for me – the local service providers smiled with every purchase I made.

Reading replaced the physical interaction of visitors

No live sport on TV – Watched documentaries and acquired some culinary skills.

COVID 19 has thought me not to be selfish – in the past I would surround myself with people that I though were on my level , today I do step down to meet others and pull them along with me.

Work , provides for the financial needs we have , however , if the mental is not in sync , all is lost.

I have managed and trained myself to create space to find myself , to take time in doing the things I do , to give meaning to my words and actions , to pause and smell the roses.

Family , friends and colleagues are not just in my life physically , they add value and are appreciated.

My house is not a house ,it’s a home , my food is not only to sustain me ,but a form of enjoyment in both preparation and consumption.

My feelings/sightings of those less fortunate than me , is not just a fleeting vision , it has been extended to some form contribution .

Spiritually I have grown , I have found the quite me , I have discovered to give off yourself does not come only in the form of money. We give unconsciously and derive the best in other forms.

Covid 19 has made me realize that time is borrowed , my time here is limited , inner peace , achieving my own goals , having competitions with only me as the competitor are essential elements of giving off my best.

My smile must reach you warmly , my words must have meaning , my actions must reflect me , to believe in myself and reach for my stars.

COVID 19 and the lockdown has take me back to being human.