Klerksdorp Record, Klerksdorp - One of the city’s top runners competed at the SA Duathlon Champs and won gold and now she is the SA age group champion. Izaane Demetriou was second overall.
The event took place at Wilderness over the past weekend. The 45-year-old mom described the experience as equal parts brutal and beautiful and said she was dropped in the first run by a competitor who started out like a rocket.
She, however, managed to catch her opponent on the bike, dig deep, and defend the lead on the final run. Izaane said she has huge respect to her competitor as she kept her working the entire way. “Coming back from a career-changing injury, this one hits deep. Months of hard work, rebuilding my run, confidence, and mental game - there were days I wondered if I’d ever race again, let alone win gold.
“Massive love and thanks to my support crew at home: the ones who saw the tears, the tantrums, the early mornings and endless rehab sessions, and never gave up on me. This medal is as much yours as it is mine,” she said.
The support group she refers to is her husband, Andreas, and two boys, Michael and Julian. Klerksdorp Record spoke to them on their road trip back home on Tuesday July 15. Of course they are incredibly proud of their wife and mother.
What’s next? Izaane will be competing in the Ironman in Mossel Bay in November this year.
