GDSD ATHLETICS CLUB PARTICIPATES IN 50TH CAPE GATE VAAL MARATHON

By Moipone Matsapola

• The athletes from the Gauteng Department of Social Development Athletics Club are taking care of their physical and mental well-being.
•  Each runner has personal goals to conquer, but holding the club members together is the desire to be healthy and fit.
• They are demonstrating how to be self-sufficient yet a strong member of the team.

Athletes from the Gauteng Department of Social Development Athletics Club took part in the 50th Cape Gate Vaal Marathon in Vereeniging on 21 February 2025.

Showing their mental and physical resilience, each runner from diverse communities throughout Gauteng takes their own goals with them on each race they tackle.

They shared the reasons for taking to the road: their health, wellness, and fitness goals for 2025.

Ntombifuthi Tsotetsi, who is based at the Mabutho Hlatswayo child and youth care centre in Ratanda, south of Heidelberg in Gauteng, wants to lose weight.

“My goal is to shed 8-10kg in the next three months. I also want to stay fit to support my overall health and wellness.”

Moeketsi Selepe, from the Sedibeng Regional Office of the Department of Social Development, says: “My fitness goals are simple: one run and one hike each month. I aim to be able to run 10km in under an hour.”

Colleague Portia Rantshana, also from the Sedibeng Regional Office, plans to push her limits this year. “I frequently run distances of 10-15kms. This year, I want to push myself further by running 21km at least twice by the end of October,” she says.

“Running helps reduce burnout, and the time spent on the road is great for my mental health.”

Nomsa Thomo, from the Walter Sisulu child and youth care centre in Noordgesig, Johannesburg, has a very different goal – to become the youngest first-time runner in the Gauteng Department of Social Development Athletics Club to complete the half-marathon, 21.1km, at the Two Oceans.

Peter Mjeso, who is also based at the Mabutho Hlatswayo child and youth care centre, says he normally runs 10km.

“But for my next race, I’m challenging myself to run 21km. By the end of the year, I plan to complete a fast-paced 42km.”

As the runners show, by being fit and looking after their well-being, these employees at the Gauteng Department of Social Development are making sure they are in a good space to deliver the important services South Africans need.