Sunday Tribune

London Marathon is running star’s guid ing light

HERMAN GIBBS herman.gibbs@gail.com

WELL-KNOWN Paralympic medallist Louzanne Coetzee has set her sights on next month’s London Marathon, one of the world’s premier championship marathon events.

Coetzee won silver and bronze medals at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo last year. She was born blind and competes in the T11 category, which is the highest level of visual impairment for athletes.

Coetzee runs with a guide, Claus Kempen, who recently competed in the Comrades Marathon. Kempen was with Coetzee last year when she claimed silver in the women’s 1 500m T11 and bronze in the women’s marathon T12 in Tokyo.

Her most notable achievement was setting a world record in the 5 000m T11 at the 2018 Grand Prix in Berlin.

When Coetzee runs the London Marathon, the primary objective will be to qualify for Paris 2024. This will be her second attempt to run the famous UK race.

“I am very excited about the London Marathon invite. What an honour,” said Coetzee.

“Claus and I are looking to qualifying for Paris 2024, and I believe we are fit and ready to go.

“We will give our best. I had a very traumatic first attempt at London with ITB (overuse injuries among runners). I am looking forward to going back and experiencing more of the race.”

Coetzee's partnership with Kempen is crucial to her career’s success.

They need to consider each other's personal life and commitments.

“This relationship isn’t so much about the technical running next to each other and me telling her there’s a pothole, or turn left or right. It’s about adaptability, which means being able to change and deal with situations that arise,” said Kempen.

“We both have families, other interests and full-time jobs. If you are not flexible and adaptable, then it’s going to be very tough. I think that the great thing about why it works is our respect for each other’s opinions. We don’t always agree, but we try to understand and talk it through.”

Kempen outlined the challenges that they as a team must deal with.

“I am nine years older than Louzanne, and while I cannot even compare my life to hers, I have had my own challenges along the way,” said Kempen. “These are challenges that she supports me with, and I support her back.

“Where I need her to perform is on the long distances. When it comes to the shorter distances, then it’s a bit more analytical. It is a little more focused, and you don’t need someone silly by your side.”

Preparations have gone to plan for the London Marathon, and Coetzee will be the only disabled ambulant athlete competing in the race.

“Preparation is going well at this point,” said Kempen. “Now that I have competed in the Comrades, I have turned my focus to the London Marathon.

“October 2 is the date that the qualifications for the Paris Paralympics 2024 open, and that’s the time slot you can qualify from.

“We have enough mileage and haven’t focused too much on speed, as it is not track season at this stage.

“We will probably aim for a threehour, 20-minute run, which is a lot slower than her current world record in the T11 marathon, which is just under three hours and 12 minutes. We are not necessarily going to push for a world record here.

“On 17 October, we aim to do the Cape Town Marathon. It is a tremendous privilege, as she will serve as a pace-setter, I think, as the fourhour bus. She is going to help others achieve a sub-four marathon, which is fantastic.”

Coetzee has excellent support to help her pursue a high-profile athletics career and, apart from Kempen, also has another guide who helps her on the track.

“Purely from a running perspective, she has two guides,” said Kempen. “Estean Badenhorst is her track guide, and he has the X-factor. He brings out absolutely the best in her on the track.

“I, on the other hand, am the handbrake – the guy who has to do the longer distances and (make sure we) pace ourselves.”

Coetzee has been featured in the Profmed documentary series Mind & Field. It features a professional team that exists to provide scientific and expert support to enable athletes to achieve world-class standards.

The series also alerts athletes to the stresses and anxieties associated with their profession, and teaches them coping strategies to ensure sound mental health.

PROPERTY

en-za

2022-09-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://sundaytribune.pressreader.com/article/281784222947356

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