Like birds of a feather, a healthy body and mind go together, contributing to an individual’s holistic wellbeing. For this reason, the DBE advocates for physical education in South African Schools. However, departmental officials do not only preach the importance of sport and physical education, but they also walk the talk and go the extra mile, or even further, to ensure that sheer determination and endurance lead to achieving personal goals set.
The Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon (TTOM), which takes place in Cape Town annually, is known as The World’s Most Beautiful Marathon, with its scenic views of the mountains and the ocean. Along with the Comrades Marathon, it is also one of South Africa’s most popular marathons, with runners tackling the 56km Ultra Marathon, navigating Chapman’s Peak and Constantia Nek or the 21km Half Marathon. Two DBE officials participated in the marathon from 11 to 12 April 2026.
Mr James Ndlebe, Chief Director, Planning and Implementation Support said: “It is always a pleasure and a privilege to be amongst the 17,000 athletes that participate in the race in one of the categories; I participated in the 21km Half Marathon on 12 April 2026. It is the best race in terms of organisation and the scenery that we pass through during the race. On a personal level, running is life itself. The road has up hills, down hills, detours and humps that require thorough preparation, strategies and discipline to complete the race. That is practically what my life at the DBE is all about: road running prepares one to face the real-life situations by taking the bitter with the sweet together with its joys and pains, by sticking to the plans and never giving up, becoming better than one was the previous day, no matter what”.
Ms Neo Thebe, DBE Director, Human Resource Development and Social Responsibility, explained that “runners are a different breed, wired differently; they negotiate with self-inflicted pain during marathons with a motivation that pain will eventually go away after a few days, but that quitting is never an option. Whilst the TTOM is the world’s most beautiful marathon, as it is known, completing 56km in less than 7 hours is what it takes to be recognised as a finisher for this race. Discipline at that level is rare and powerful, the courage to line up at the starting line of an ultra-marathon shows mental strength for each runner. It takes weeks and or months of preparation of long runs, hill repeats, strength training and time trials”.
She added that running a TTOM offers a chance for runners to test their physical and mental limits: “When the legs get tired, the mental strength carries you to the finish line. Sharing the road with thousands of other runners creates a unique camaraderie offering a sense of community and common purpose. Running is not only about runners, but also about supporters – strangers who wake up early to line up on the streets just to cheer us up and motivate us when our bodies cannot carry us anymore. Running 56km is no child’s play, it takes endurance, dedication and resilience. As a social runner, my race plan was to enjoy and have fun on the road and that is exactly what I did, and yes, I completed 56km and my time was 6:45. Runners are not normal people, we chase something intangible, we choose pain over comfort, we find meaning in suffering and clarity in exhaustion”.
Another DBE champion is Ms Neo Sediti, Director for the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), who completed her second 109km Cape Town Cycle Tour (CTCT2026), one of the greatest cycling shows and biggest events in the city’s calendar during March, with about 30,000 cyclists competing. “In 2021, after a spinal surgery, my Neurosurgeon stopped me from running and gave me two choices to continue being active – swimming and cycling. I joined the Matsimela Ladies Clinic as a novice cyclist and have not looked back since”.
She said that “the CTCT is tough and I have learned it’s not just about being physically strong, it’s about mental strength. With the hard climbs of Chapman’s Peak and the second toughest hill, Suikerbossie, riders have to push through when their bodies are tired; it is all about pushing through. The aching in your legs, the shortness of breath, the voice telling you to stop, and every time when your body starts to protest, something tells you to stop. Discomfort shows up like your rival waiting for you to backdown, and it’s all about negotiating with that discomfort. When discomfort shows up you have two choices, ignore it and keep going blindly or listen to what it is telling you. It forces you to ask yourself is it a limit or just a hurdle, every step beyond that discomfort is like saying: I know you are there, but you don’t get to decide my limits. It is such a joy with two CTCT medals in the bag! God willing, I will keep going in my retirement! Exercising is more about understanding yourself than actual exercising, it’s a conversation with discomfort”.
The DBE congratulates all our champions on their significant sporting achievements.