Rorisang Thandekiso has donated sneakers to 22 grandmothers in Soweto.
As a domestic worker in her younger years, Judith Ngubo used to watch her “lady” exercise and she liked it, but she never dared to do it herself.
Today, Judith (61) is one of 22 elderly women running and exercising in Soweto.
Dressed in doeks, skirts and aprons, they roam the streets of Soweto, running 5-8km every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
A few months ago, the grandmothers caught the attention of TV and radio personality Rorisang Thandekiso.
“I remember it so clearly,” she says.
“I was driving in Soweto around 8am and I saw this old lady running around in a skirt, apron and doek. And I thought to myself ‘well that’s weird’ and continued on my way. Then as I was driving I saw two more stragglers, then another and another.
“They were running in the opposite direction I was going, I turned around and asked them what was going on and was shocked to find it was a group of grannies running together. I joined them the following Friday and have been racing with them ever since.”
Seeing that the women were not wearing proper running shoes, Rorisang took it upon himself to raise funds to buy the correct running shoes for the women.
“I reached out to my friends at Adidas, got a quote and started working towards that goal. They came and demoed the ladies to see what kind of running shoes each woman needed. Remember that they are elderly, so some have joint problems, so they needed specific shoes for their needs.
“I finally reached the goal, Adidas then completed it by providing proper gym kits. Stockings, bras, the works. I am incredibly excited about our first training session, each with his team. These women are so inspiring. We were running in the dead of winter and no one complained, everyone was happy to stay active.”
She says that the grandmothers even inspired her to go to the gym.
“It is not common to see older people in the black community exercising, especially women. They are often pushed aside, which is why it is remarkable to see women so dedicated at their age. They are not only changing their own lives, but also their families and communities in general.”
Judith says that morning exercises are the highlight of her days.
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“I went to the clinic last month and the nurse said my blood pressure looks great. She asked me what she was doing differently and I told her it was exercise. She told me to keep it up,” says Judith.
The grandmothers, ages 56 to 76, run three times a week and work out on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“I am very excited about my new clothes and takkies. We usually run around in our skirts or leggings or tracksuits that wear blankets around the waist because we’re not used to wearing pants in public,” she says.
Judith has five children, four of whom are still living, and seven grandchildren.
“If I could open my chest and you could see my heart, you would see how happy I am. I used to see the lady doing this and would love to. I never thought that one day she would be doing the same thing.”
They started this last year and during the winter they started at 8am and 7am in the summer.
For Rorisang this is following the word of God.
“A lot of people say I do what I do out of the goodness of my heart, but the truth is, it’s being obedient to the Word. The Lord says we should take care of the elderly. So it’s not about me, it’s about doing what you can when you’re in a position to help someone else.
