Cacisile Sosibo has come a long way from crying her way into earning a medal at a race to being a top athlete with national colours.
The Boxer Atheltic Club runner from rural KwaZulu-Natal now toes the line of just about every race as one of the favourites. And though she is yet to earn that breakthrough victory, the 27-year-old can never be overlooked.
She is expected to challenge for a podium finish in Sundays Absa Run Your City Cape Town 10K and ensure South Africa is well-represented as Kenyas Diana Chepkorir looks to make it two wins in a row for this years edition of the popular five-race series.
With Glenrose Xaba not participating, her teammate Sosibo will be tasked with carrying the local flag against not only Chepkorir but Lesothos duo of Neheng Khathala (Hollywood Athletics Club) and Blandina Makatisi (Maxed Elite Running Club).
Speaking at the pre-race media conference in the Motehr City on Friday, Sosibo was modest about her chances of victory.
I am confident of doing well and maybe I can finish in the top five. My goal is to improve on my Cape Town PB of 33:04, although my 10km PB is 32:27.A podium finish will be tough, but I am going to try.
Looking back at her fledgling career that has been pretty impressive as she was the best performing South African female at the World Road Running Championships in the half marathon, Sosibo remembers an incident back in her early years as the turning point.
When I was nine years old I did well at school and was selected to represent the province at the nationals in Limpopo. But my family could not afford to pay for me to go on the trip and the principal told my parents the school would pay for me.
She went and raced in Limpopo and finished in fourth place.
I saw the other kids getting medals and I cried for mine. Those kids were ten years old and I felt because I was only nine I deserved a medal.
Such were her teas that the organisers relented and gave her a medal. It marked the turning point for a young girl who has now grown into being a serious potential star for the country in her chosen sport. And under the tutelage of the renowned and magnificent coach that is Michael Sponge Seme, Sosibo is fast blossoming into a super athlete.
That medal which I cried for as a young girl gave me confidence because after it I started winning races and I have not looked back since.
She will need that confidence on Sunday if she is to be on the podium alongside the very fast Chepkorir who is one of only 17 African women who boast a sub 30 minute 10km time.
In the mens race, Chepkorirs compatriot Vincent Langat will be out to also make it two out of two having won the season-opening Gqeberha leg of the Absa Run Your City series.
The Kenyans had fantastic runs a fortnight ago in Germany during the Adizero Road to Record, Chepkorir finishing fourth and Langat running a lifetime best of 27:11.
Langat faces stiff opposition from national 10km record holder Precious Mashele who is earger to make amends after finishing third in Gqeberha despite having run neck and neck with the Kenyans for most of the final stretch. He was overtaken at the finish line by his Boxer teammate Elroy Gelant.
You remember that last year in Gqeberha I ran the national record (27:35) and that was because of the East Africans. They push us. They dont run slow. They run hard from start to finish. So if you want to run fast just chase them. I like running with them because they make us run personal bests. My body is responding well and on Sunday my goal is to finish on the podium. Anything is possible though, I think. I can be the first man to cross the line, Mashele said.
@ Tshiliboy
