Im a New person Running and a positive outlook on things has changed my life forever!
Mary Waters High School had the privilege and opportunity to listen
to two hardcore runners from Grahamstown talking to the learners
about their previous back grounds of growing up in the wrong doings
being on the opposite side of the law and how running and living a
better life has changed them to who they are today.
First up to deliver his speech was Malibongwe known to people as
Meli. He started off his talk by telling the learners to keep the body and mind fresh, you have to exercise, never take a taxi but
walk were you want to go.
Keep away from bad things like drugs and drinking because if you
drink you go in the streets and get stabbed in the stomach. Do sport
to keep yourself busy, stay active, get fit and be healthy.The
learners were very amazed by what Meli had to say. The learners also
ask questions of when he started running and if he got involved in
bad things when he was at school? He said he started running at the
age of 8 and ran until the age of 17, before he started got caught up
in the bad things teenagers do at that age, doing drugs, stealing and
drinking. He turned his life around after a caring teacher took him
under his wings and helped him to be a better person and developing
his talent and love for running. Meli then ended off his talk by
telling the learners to keep away from bad things, to live their
lives crime free and to be the better person than the bad ones!
Next up was Lionel from Scotch Farm, also a well known runner coming
from a very harsh and tough background. He turned his life around a
few years ago and began his passion for running. He is currently a
newspaper deliver man selling the local newspaper at the flyover near
Kingswood.
Lionel started his talk by introducing himself as the famous man
from Scottsfarm In a very serious note he started telling the learners
how he was a hard criminal robbing people breaking into houses and
how he spend 20 years in and out of jail. Ending his education at the
age of 8 and never ever went back to school to learn how to write or
read and while in jail he lost both his parents.
He told the learners he had no family and food was extremely scarce
in the Max prison were he was and Christmas times were very lonely
for him with no one visiting him in jail. Life in prison was very
harsh and cruel and he was always beaten up. He love for running
started in jail were he ran in a little section for two hours to keep
he stress away.
When he was released from prison he never knew he picked up TB in
the prison and was only told by the clinic about his disease when he
went for a check up. When he found out he had TB he just wanted to
die, telling learners how he locked himself up for three days in his
room for no one to find him so that he could release he pain and just
die! A Rhodes student then came to his rescue, kicking down the
door. The student found Lionel lying on a cold wet floor on the verge
of death. The volunteer took Lionel under his wing and took him to a
hospital were he was treated for TB.
I was very sick, he said and was extremely thin. I ate my
treatment, doctors took care of me and fed me well to pick up weight.
My legs were also as thin as little sticks. By this time A lot of
emotion was whelming up in Lionel and tears started streaming down
his face as he spoke from the heart about his past.
A lot of prayer and faith in God to give him a second chance made him
better. When he was better stronger and cured from his TB he turned
to running and started training for his first 5km fun run. Running
turned my life around and I realized there are so much better things
in life than stealing, being locked up in jail and picking up
diseases like TB
Lionel is now leading a good and healthy life,Im the best
running against myself Im a proud paper boy selling the Grocott's
Mail newspaper twice a week. I get wages and buy myself fruit and
veggies!
Lionel ended off his talk by telling the learners to keep on
learning, keep away from bad things and be a proud young person, a
positive example for other school goers. The learners were filled
with emotion wiping away tears after this heart felt talk delivered
by Lionel The Famous man from Scotts Farm
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Posted: August 27th 2012 08:42
