INTOKAZI yaKwaDabeka ngasePinetown, uNonkululeko Palisa Jojo egijimela ubumnandi, ithi ithathe isinqumo sokungenela iComrades Marathon okokuqala ngoba ifuna ukukhuthaza abesifazane ukuthi banawo amandla okulwa nezingqinamba kuyo yonke imikhakha yempilo.
UJojo (32) ogijima ngaphansi kweXcell AC, ungomunye wezinkumbi zabagijimi okuzothi ngeSonto, ngo-5.30, ekuseni zisuke eCity Hall, eMgungundlovu ziphikelele eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini.
Ngenxa yokuxinwa wumsebenzi wokuba wumhlengikazi eRietvlei District Hospital, eMzimkhulu, le ntokazi ithi iqale yakungabaza ukungenela umjaho oyibanga elingu-89km, obalwa neminye emikhulukazi emhlabeni.
"Ngeke ngiqambe amanga lukhona uvalo olungishayayo. Nakuba kunjalo ngiyajabula ukuthi ekugcineni igama lami lizobalwa ohlwini lwabake bagijima lo mjaho ohlonishwa umhlaba wonke. Ngokugijima kuwo ngikholelwa ekutheni bakhona engizobagqugquzela ukulwa nokwesaba kwabo ezintweni ezahlukene. Singabantu besimame sithwele kanzima emphakathini. Ngithi sesiphelile isikhathi sokwesaba. Asivuke sizithathe,“ kusho uJojo.
Uthe ukuba wumuntu onesiqu somzimba esithe okondleka, akuzange kumthene amandla.
"Mina nje, isibonelo ngiwumuntu onomzimba othi awube mkhulu. Emgwaqweni ngike ngiqaphele ukuthi kukhona abangeyayo. Nakuba kunjalo ngiyalwa, ngiqhubeke nokugijima. NgeSonto ngizolwa ngakho konke okusemandleni ukuyiqeda iComrades yami yokuqala," uqhube kanje.
Uthe amalungiselo omjaho uwaqale ngoMeyi. Ngenxa yokubanjwa wumsebenzi uthe nabanye babone kungcono ukuthi basungule iqembu abazozilungisela ngalo umjaho, abalibiza ngeTeam 4 AM.
UJojo uqale ukugijima ngo-2014 ngenhloso yokwehlisa isisindo somzimba.
“Kunesikhathi lapho ngineminyaka ewu-21 bese ngigqoka u-size 40. Ngabona lapho ukuthi kuyonakala. Ngaqala ukugijima amabanga amancane ngagcina sengingenela imijaho ka-10km. I-marathon yami yokuqala yaba ngo-2017, ngigijima iDeloitte Marathon. Ngenza kahle kakhulu kuyona ngigijima isikhathi esiwu-4:18. Angibange ngisazithambisa, emva kwalokho ngangenela neMaritzburg Marathon, Soweto Marathon neminye imijaho eminingi.
"I-ultra marathon ngayiqala ngo-2019 ngeTwo Oceans( 56km Ultra Marathon). Kuyo ngenza u-6:20. Ngibonga kakhulu kumqeqeshi wami uVusi Mncube nakozakwethu beTeam 4 AM nasekilabhini iXcell. Ngethemba ukuthi ngeke ngibe nenkinga kwiComrades," kusho uJojo.