UJudith Som, oneminyaka engama-82, usandula kubaleka iMarathoni yakhe ye-NYC yama-21 kwaye unengcebiso yokwabelana.

(CNN)— UJudith Som oneminyaka engama-82 akakwazi kwaye akazukuyeka ukubaleka kwisixeko asithandayo.
Uthando lwakhe lokubaleka (kunye nexesha) lwaqala kwiminyaka engama-48 eyadlulayo.
Xa uSom wayeneminyaka engama-34 ubudala, abanye abahlobo bakhe kwiklabhu yezempilo yasekuhlaleni bamcenga ukuba atshintshe ukuzilolonga kwakhe ngebhayisekile kwi-treadmill. Emva kokwenza olo tshintsho, waba likhoboka.
Kule mpelaveki iphelileyo, uSom wayengoyena mfazi mdala ugqibe i-TCS New York Marathon yesiXeko, ewela umgca wokugqibela kwiiyure ezisibhozo, imizuzu engama-39 kunye nemizuzwana engama-39.
Yayilixesha lakhe lama-21 ebaleka ugqatso oludumileyo kwihlabathi.
“Emva kokwenza into elolo hlobo, ikwenza ube nenjongo kunye nengqondo yokuba unokwenza ngayo nantoni na oyifunayo,” uxelele i-CNN.
Ukugqiba uhambo lweekhilomitha ezingama-26.2 nakweyiphi na iminyaka yinto enkulu, kwaye uSom waziva etshisa kulo nyaka.
Kodwa i-octogenarian yimbaleki eqhutywayo, isala ukuvumela indawo efunwayo yekhosi-kubandakanya iibhulorho ezintlanu kunye neenduli ezingalindelekanga - zithobe isantya.

Ukoyisa amathuba

KuSom, umdyarho odumileyo waseNew York ungaphezulu kunogqatso nje – kukubuyela ekhaya. Nangona ezinye iimbaleki zinokunika umdla wazo okhethekileyo, uSom uhlala enyanisekile kwiingcambu zakhe.
“Sisixeko saseNew York, mntwana,” utshilo. "Andizange ndibalekise enye imbaleki. Likhaya lam eli."
Yaba lelinye iqela elixhasayo elaqinisekisa uSom ukuba athathe umdla wakhe awubeke kwinqanaba elitsha.
Kumashumi amane eminyaka eyadlulayo, ngelixa wayebaleka ecaleni koMlambo i-East, wadibana nabanye abagijimi ababemkhuthaza ukuba abhalisele i-NYC Marathon yakhe yokuqala ngo-1982.
Kodwa kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa ngaphambi kogqatso, uSom wabekwa ecaleni sisifo esibuhlungu senyumoniya kwaye akazange akwazi ukukhuphisana. Yayikukubuyela umva okubuhlungu – kodwa akukho nanye eyayinokumnqanda.
Kunyaka olandelayo, uSom wayezimisele ngakumbi kunangaphambili, nangona imozulu yayinezinye izicwangciso ngosuku lomdyarho njengoko imvula yayisina ngokungayekiyo kulo lonke ukhuphiswano.
USom xa ebona umyeni wakhe endleleni, wabuza, "Kunjani, njani?"
Ngaphandle kokuphoswa ngumsindo, waphendula wathi, "Oku kuyanyanyisa."
Phezu kwako nje ukungakhululeki kwakhe, wayengazimiselanga kuyeka.
“Ndiza kuyigqiba, ungazikhathazi ngayo,” watsho kuye.
Yiloo nto kanye ayenzileyo, egqibezela umdyarho wakhe wokuqala kwisithuba nje esingaphezu kweeyure ezine.
Umdyarho ka-2024 uze nowawo imingeni. Malunga neekhilomitha ezili-19, uSom waqala ukuva iintlungu eziqatha zenyonga kwaye wacinga ukuba kungafuneka ayiyeke. Emva kokuma ukuze ancokole nababukeli endleleni, intlungu yakhe yadamba ngequbuliso, watsho, waza waya kumgca wokugqibela nomhlobo wakhe osenyongweni.

Amandla oluntu

Ngelixa kungakholeleki ukubaleka imidyarho yeembaleki ezingama-21 – ngaphezulu kweemayile ezingama-550 xa zizonke – uSom uyakuthanda ukubaleka ngenxa yoluntu alufumeneyo.
Kangangeminyaka, ebelilungu elinebhongo leMercury Masters, iklabhu ebalekayo yesiXeko saseNew York yabasetyhini abangaphezu kweminyaka engama-50. Kwaye bubudlelwane nenkxaso ayifumana kwezinye iimbaleki – kwakunye nababukeli ekuhambeni kwekhosi – ezimenza abuye unyaka nonyaka.
USom ukhumbula oku, “Kulo nyaka, bekukho imiqondiso emininzi endleleni ethi: ‘Namhlanje, sonke siyintsapho.’”
"Abantu babencedisa (abanye abantu), kwaye sasiphezulu-isihlanu nantoni na eshukumayo okanye engashukumiyo."
Ukubaleka kuye kwaluncedo kuSom, ngakumbi emva kokusweleka komyeni wakhe kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo.
“Ukubaleka kubutshintshile ubomi bam,” watsho. "Ngabantu endidibene nabo, into endiyifumeneyo, indlela endiziva ngayo ngam, yiloo nto ibaluleke kakhulu."
Nabani na okhuthazwe kukuphumelela okumangalisayo kukaSom kwaye ejonge ukulandela ekhondweni lakhe, ukhuthaza iimbaleki ezitsha ukuba zithathe kancinci kwaye zimamele imizimba yazo.
“Ukwandisa umgama wakho ngokuthe ngcembe, mhlawumbi ubaleke neqela okanye wenze ikhosi yoqeqesho. … Kufuneka ube nesibindi namandla phambi kokuba ukwenze oko,” watsho. "Ngumgama omde. ... Kwaye ukuba wonzakele, yima kwaye uwahloniphe loo manxeba."
Nakwiminyaka engama-82, ukuzimisela kukaSom ukuqhubeka nokubaleka akubonisi zimpawu zokuthoba isantya.
“Mna nentombi yam safunga ukuba le yeyokugqibela,” utshilo. Kodwa ndimbonile namhlanje, kwaye ndathi, 'Kulungile, mhlawumbi.'
Sajongana saza sahleka, waza wathi, ‘Mhlawumbi siza kuphinda.’
Amathuba kukuba uSom uza kwenza isangqa kugqatso luka-2025, olumiselwe ngeCawa, ngoNovemba 2, kwikhalenda yakhe.