Distance runner Blanche Moila still going strong at the age of 70
· Citizen
Decades after she tore up South African roads, tracks and cross country courses as a trailblazing athlete, distance runner Blanche Moila is still going strong, and she is still using the Spar Grand Prix 10km races as a platform to find a healthy balance in her life.
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Moila made history back in 1984 when she became the first black woman to earn Springbok colours in athletics, and as an elite athlete she secured national titles over a wide range of distances in the colours of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics.
Known for wearing her trademark turban whenever she races, Moila joined a small group of athletes who have flaunted their longevity – Sonja Laxton, Ronel Thomas, Janene Carey and Grace de Oliveira – by recently becoming the fifth person to complete 100 Spar Women’s Challenge 10km races.
At the Grand Prix race in Tshwane, Moila took second position for Savages Athletic Club in the 70+ age group in 58:16 to complete her centenary performance in style.
Iconic athlete
After taking up the sport while studying to be a nurse, during a sports day between staff and patients, Moila never looked back.
And having broken new ground during her elite career, she was delighted to see how far women’s distance running had come over the last five decades.
“It’s really satisfying and we are just so excited about it. If you look at my 10km personal best (33:58), it’s way slower than women are running now,” Loila said.
“Elite athletes are now running 32 or 31 minutes, and it just shows the depth and talent we have in South Africa.”
Finding a balance
Moila feels the key is to live one’s life in a way that assists individuals in finding a healthy balance, which she still manages to do all these years after she first strapped on a pair of running shoes.
“Age has no penalty, and we learn in the present, so if you’re passionate about sport and do your homework, you will do the best you can,” she said.
“For young girls who get into the sport of running, it’s so important to have a great support system from your family and your community because we live in difficult times.
“When I was at school, the girl child was not always supported to excel in sport, and it was by pure chance that I got into sport, so right now we’re trying to encourage the girls to take part.”