Exceptional milestone reached at Roodepoort parkrun
Johannes completes his 50th parkrun
Yet another exceptional milestone was reached during the 313th edition of the Roodepoort parkrun, which took place recently.
The 46-year-old Johannes Grib completed his 50th parkrun, but what made this achievement even more special is the fact that he is visually impaired.
Kip Norman, who was the run director on the day, said they were very proud of Johannes, who is one of five visually impaired runners who compete on a weekly basis. He also presented Johannes with his red t-shirt, in order for him to complete his 50th run in style.
Johannes was accompanied by Henno Fourie, and the two of them managed to complete the two-lap, five-kilometre course in a time of 46 minutes and 25 seconds, just a little bit slower than Johannes’ personal best of 40 minutes and seven seconds.After completing the race, Johannes said, “I enjoyed the race today, the weather was not too hot or too cold, and we even managed to jog a bit on all the downhill parts on the route.”
He added that he has been participating in the parkrun for the past two years, and jokingly said, “I know the route so well by now, that I can almost walk it with my eyes closed!” Even though Johannes said that he started participating in the parkrun mainly for health reasons, that is not the only reason why he participates.
“I come here every Saturday to take part in the social side of the run as well. You meet a lot of people who live in the same area, and over time, tend to make friends and get to know each other better,” he said.
Johannes and his wife, Jessica, are quite an active couple, and besides their weekly participation in the parkrun, they also play lawn bowls, train on a daily basis with a personal trainer and Johannes also plays chess. “Jessica and I will both be participating in the South African National Championships for blind bowlers in George later this year, and we are training very hard with our team mates,” he said.
Johannes concluded with the following message, “You cannot receive with a closed hand, and, if you are prepared to give a little, and show that you can also achieve things, even with your challenges, you are bound to be an inspiration to others. For me, it’s my wife, who is both visually and hearing impaired, who is my biggest inspiration.”
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
