UJudith Som, 82, usanda kugijima i-NYC Marathon yakhe yesi-21 futhi uneseluleko angabelana ngaso

(CNN)— U-Judith Som oneminyaka engu-82 ubudala akakwazi futhi ngeke ayeke ukugijima edolobheni alikhonzile.
Uthando lwakhe lokugijima (kanye nesikhathi) lwaqala eminyakeni engu-48 edlule.
Lapho uSom eneminyaka engu-34, abanye abangani bekilabhu yendawo yezempilo bamkhuthaza ukuba ashintshe ukujima kwakhe okujwayelekile kwebhayisikili enze i-treadmill. Ngemva kokwenza uguquko, wacwila.
Kule mpelasonto edlule, uSom ubengowesifazane omdala kunabo bonke ukuqeda i-TCS New York City Marathon, eqeda umugqa wokuqeda ngamahora ayisishiyagalombili, imizuzu engama-39 nemizuzwana engama-39.
Bekungokweminyaka engama-21 egijima lo mjaho odume umhlaba wonke.
"Ngemuva kokufeza into efana naleyo, kukunikeza umuzwa wenhloso nomuzwa wokuthi ungenza noma yini oyifunayo," utshele i-CNN.
Ukuqeda uhambo lwamamayela angu-26.2 kunoma iyiphi iminyaka kuyisenzo esikhulu, futhi uSom uzwe ukusha kulo nyaka.
Kodwa i-octogenarian ingumgijimi oqhutshwayo, wenqaba ukuvumela indawo enzima yesifundo - okuhlanganisa amabhuloho amahlanu namagquma angalindelekile - yehlise ijubane lakhe.

Ukunqoba izingqinamba

Ku-Som, i-New York's marathon eyaziwayo ingaphezu nje komjaho - kungukubuyela ekhaya. Nakuba amanye ama-marathon angase anikeze okwawo okukhangayo okuyingqayizivele, uSom uhlala eqotho ngokujulile ezimpandeni zakhe.
“KuseNew York City, baby,” kusho yena. "Angikayijahi enye imarathon. Yikhaya lami leli."
Kwakungelinye iqembu elimesekayo elaqinisekisa uSom ukuthi athathe uthando lwakhe alubeke kwelinye izinga.
Emashumini amane eminyaka adlule, ngenkathi egijima ngase-East River, wahlangana nabanye abagijimi abamkhuthaza ukuba abhalisele i-NYC Marathon yakhe yokuqala ngo-1982.
Kodwa ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngaphambi komjaho, uSom wabekwa eceleni ngenxa yesifo esinzima senyumoniya futhi akakwazanga ukuncintisana. Kwaba ukuhlehla okubuhlungu - kodwa akukho neyodwa eyayingamvimba.
Ngonyaka olandelayo, uSom wayezimisele kakhulu kunanini ngaphambili, nakuba isimo sezulu sasinezinye izinhlelo ngosuku lomjaho njengoba imvula yayisina ngokungaphezi kuwo wonke umncintiswano.
USom lapho ebona umyeni wakhe endleleni, wabuza, "Hawu, kunjani?"
Ngaphandle kokuphuthelwa, uphendule wathi, "Lokhu kuyamangaza."
Naphezu kokungakhululeki kwakhe, wayengazimisele ukuyeka.
"Ngizoyiqeda, ungazikhathazi ngayo," emtshela.
Yilokho kanye akwenza, eqeda i-marathon yakhe yokuqala esikhathini esingaphezudlwana kwamahora amane.
Umjaho wezi-2024 ulethe ezawo izinselelo. Cishe imayela le-19, uSom waqala ukuzwa ubuhlungu obukhulu be-hip futhi wacabanga ukuthi kungase kudingeke ayeke. Ngemva kokuma ukuze axoxe nezibukeli endleleni, ubuhlungu bakhe badamba kungazelelwe, wathi, wayeselibangisa entanjeni nomngane wakhe oseduze.

Amandla omphakathi

Nakuba kungakholakali ukugijima ama-marathon angu-21 - lokho kungamakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-550 isiyonke - uSom uthanda ukugijima ngenxa yomphakathi awutholile.
Iminyaka eminingi, ubeyilungu eliziqhenyayo le-Mercury Masters, iklabhu egijimayo yeDolobha laseNew York yabesifazane abangaphezu kweminyaka engama-50. Futhi wubudlelwane nokusekelwa akuthola kwabanye abagijimi - kanye nababukeli ngesikhathi somdlalo - okumenza abuye unyaka nonyaka.
USom uyakhumbula, "Kulo nyaka, bekunezimpawu ezimbalwa endleleni ezithi: 'Namuhla, sonke siwumndeni.'
"Abantu bebesiza (abanye abantu), futhi besiphakamisa noma yini enyakazayo noma enganyakazi."
Ukugijima kube yimpilo kaSom, ikakhulukazi ngemuva kokushona komyeni wakhe eminyakeni embalwa edlule.
“Ukugijima kuyishintshile impilo yami,” kusho yena. "Abantu engihlangane nabo, engihlangabezane nakho, indlela engizizwa ngayo ngami, yilokho okubaluleke kakhulu."
Kunoma ubani ogqugquzelwe impumelelo emangalisayo kaSom futhi ofuna ukulandela ezinyathelweni zakhe, ukhuthaza abagijimi abasha ukuthi bathathe kancane futhi balalele imizimba yabo.
"Kancane kancane wandise ibanga lakho, mhlawumbe ugijime neqembu noma wenze izifundo zokuqeqesha. …Kufanele ube nomdlandla namandla ngaphambi kokuthi ukwenze," kusho yena. "Ibanga elide. ... Futhi uma ulimele, yima futhi uhloniphe ukulimala."
Ngisho eseneminyaka engu-82, ukuzimisela kukaSom ukuqhubeka nokugijima akubonisi izimpawu zokwehla ijubane.
“Mina nentombi yami safunga ukuthi esokugcina,” kusho yena. "Kodwa ngimbonile namuhla, futhi ngathi, 'Hhayi-ke, mhlawumbe.'
Sabukana sahleka, wabe esethi, 'Mhlawumbe sizophinda.'
Amathuba okuthi uSom uzozungeza umjaho ka-2025, omiselwe ngeSonto, Novemba 2, ekhalendeni lakhe.