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Beyond My IMPossible

Roxanne MartinFeatures, News1 Comment on Beyond My IMPossible

When we feel empowered to tell our stories, there are no limits to how much we can inspire others. Through BEYOND MY IMPOSSIBLE, adidas is empowering 11 women to cross their first marathon finish line, at the 2022 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in October, while sharing their journey to the start line with the running community. 

The Coach

COACH KATHLEEN SHUTTLEWORTH 

Living out her core value, “Driven by passion, pursuing excellence” since 2004, Coach Kathleen has guided numerous athletes to achieving provincial and national medals in track, cross country and biathlon.

She’s also helped many runners of all levels to conquer their first marathon or achieve that elusive personal best. Now she is putting her considerable talents to helping 11 women tackle their first marathon.

 

The Runners

ZOE BROWN
Age: 32
Resides: Rondebosch 

Bio: Zoe describes herself as an “ordinary girl with an extraordinary job.”

She’s a radio presenter for The Flash Drive from 15h00-19h00 on KFM 94.5, and a TV presenter on the Expresso Show on SABC 3. 

Follow Zoe’s journey @zbzoebrown 

NCEBAKAZI DYANI
Age: 26
Resides: Rondebosch 

Bio: Ncebakazi runs with the adidas Runners Cape Town crew and is a hiking fanatic. She describes herself as an adventure enthusiast and the “coolest aunt, daughter and sister!”

Her latest adventure is being on a journey to finish her first marathon.

Follow Ncebakazi’s journey @dyanincebakazi 


LENISE SWANSON 
Age: 41 
Resides: Monte Vista 

Bio: As a medical doctor and mother of four, Lenise is an advocate for a healthy lifestyle. She loves taking on new challenges, and this year has chosen to compete in her first full marathon. Her future goal is to participate in major international marathons, while experiencing many wonderful countries and cultures around the world. 

Follow Lenise’s journey @lenise_swanson  

LEATITIA GRADWELL
Age: 45
Resides: Plumstead 

Bio: Leatitia is a wife and mom, who works in the pharmaceutical industry. She describes herself as a Christian girl from Mitchell’s Plain trying to better herself, and hoping it will empower other women in the process.

She believes that “we rise by lifting others.” When it comes to the Cape Town Marathon, Leatitia says she’s going to run with purpose: “I’m pacing myself and I’m going to end strong!”

YENTLE ARENDSE
Age: 33
Resides: Parow 

Bio: Yentle is married, has a son and two more stepchildren, and works at a signage company. Family is really important to her, as she lost her Dad at a young age, and sadly, also her mom at the end of 2020. She spends most weekends running, watching her husband and children play soccer, and watching English football.

Follow Yentle’s Journey  @yentlearendse 

JANA STEYN
Age: 30
Resides: Langebaan 

Bio: Jana spent most of her life in the bushveld of Limpopo. She recently moved to the West Coast in the Cape, and is fulfilling her dream to live at the beach.

Jana is a lawyer and enjoys going on all sorts of adventures while exploring her home country.

 

Follow Jana’s Journey @janasteyn92 

KAY ABRAHAMS
Age: 24
Resides: Somerset West 

Bio: Kay describes herself as a runner and a creative. Family and community is important to her, and she enjoys the outdoors.

She’s currently on a journey to completing her first marathon, the Cape Town Marathon.

Follow Kay’s Journey @kayabrahams 

SHAAKIRAH JAFTHA
Age: 27
Resides: Steenberg 

Bio: Shaakirah is a single mom, who was born and raised in the Cape Flats. She is an adidas Runners Booster, and has an absolute passion for running.

Her dream is to inspire change and make a difference through sport, specifically running. She describes herself as “inspired to inspire.” 

Follow Shaakirah’s journey @shaakirahjaftha 


ASHLEIGH BREDEVELDT
Age: 32
Resides: Southfield

Bio: Ashleigh was born profoundly deaf in Cape Town with an identical womb-mate. She received a cochlear implant at the tender age of five and obtained full language. Today she’s a go-getter who enjoys outdoor activities and exploring hidden gems in South Africa and abroad.

Ashleigh is a graphic designer, a deaf awareness advocate, and is always ready to take on a new challenge!

Follow Ashleigh’s journey @jog4pizza 

MELISSA ABRAHAMS
Age: 35
Resides: Bellville 

Bio: Having experienced health challenges after being diagnosed with PCOS during her infertility journey, Melissa now considers running her medicine, her coping mechanism, and her quiet time with God. She says she is running towards the vision of becoming a happier, healthier individual, wife, and mother one day soon!

Follow Melissa’s Journey @melissaabrahams


TRACEY ABRAHAMESE
Age: 40
Resides: Plumstead 

Bio: Tracey is a 40-year-old single mother to a young daughter and two fur babies. She is passionate about flowers, fitness, fierce females, furry friends, and the outdoors.

Tracey is an advocate for mental health and women’s empowerment, and she firmly believes that women need to uplift, encourage, motivate, support and celebrate each other.

Follow Tracey’s Journey @justcallmetrace_fitness

The PUMA Run XX NITRO is for HER

Roxanne MartinTried & TestedLeave a Comment on The PUMA Run XX NITRO is for HER

PUMA recently sent us the women-specific Run XX NITRO to wear-test, and our Marketing Director Roxanne Martin has been putting the shoe through its paces.

First Impressions

Before taking them out the box, the Run XX NITRO tells you that it is made for women who run – the name is derived from the female double X chromosome in DNA sequencing – and in line with PUMA’s RUN FOR HER motto, the design takes a woman’s needs into account, but more on that later.

The shoe’s design catches your eye the moment you look at it. The colour is bright pink with touches of purple, making it stand out. It’s bold, and in my opinion, a good-looking shoe.

Now, whenever I try a new running shoe, I like to wear it for at least three days before I attempt any running. I find that this gives the shoe a chance to ‘soften’ a bit, allowing me to wear it in before I hit the road. Doing a couple of days of walking always helps me to get used to the shoe, and how the shoe will adapt to my running style.

Straight out of the box, the shoe was a firm fit, but after wearing it for a few days, the upper had a chance to stretch a bit, and I had a chance to get used to the way the shoe guided my foot. Naturally, the sole design of a shoe has a massive impact on this, and in the case of the Run XX NITRO, it really feels that it is designed with running in mind.

Running in the Shoe

The Run XX NITRO is marketed as a women-specific neutral cushioned shoe, so being a female runner, I was understandably excited to give it a wear-test. 

When I read up on the shoe, I found that PUMA says the following: Featuring an updated fit that hugs a woman’s foot at the heel, instep and arch, the shoe’s new, firmer NITRO midsole is the perfect balance of durability and lightweight cushioning, while RUNGUIDE promotes proper alignment and increased stability for longer distances.

The first thing I noticed was that the front of the shoe was wider than other PUMA shoes I have run in. I am always appreciative of this, as the front of my foot needs some breathing room, and this ties in with the fact that women often have wider forefeet and narrower heels than men. With the wider fit upfront, my foot can hit the ground more evenly, making my running feel more stable. Meanwhile, the back of the shoe holds my heel nicely, while I run, especially around my ankle. Having weak ankles and a bunion by my big toes, I really appreciated these design elements, as it’s not often that a unisex shoe will cover these bases.

The second thing that I felt when running in the shoe was that my arch felt supported the entire time. Again, women-specific shoes usually have a more built-up arch, as women’s feet tend to be quite different to men’s, and I really felt the benefits of this in the Run XX NITROs. This also makes the shoe incredibly cushioned throughout your stride pattern, but with a terrific springiness that makes you feel like you are ‘springing into action,’ with just the right amount of give and take between putting your foot down on the ground and lifting it again, giving you even cushioning and smooth rebound.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Women often have wider hips than men, causing our legs to naturally pivot inwards at more of an angle, so many women will require anti-pronation shoes for running. When designing women-specific shoes, designers bear this in mind, adding more support in the arch, but keep in mind that this still a neutral shoe, so take that into consideration before buying.

The easiest way to understand what shoe will fit your running style is to have a gait analysis done. This measures how your foot hits the ground and how far it rolls inwards as you move forwards. The good news is that this does not need to be an expensive exercise, as you can simply pop into your local Totalsports, which coincidentally also stocks this shoe, for a free gait analysis with one of their Run Specialists.

Another thing to remember is that most running shoes are made to be unisex, meaning the men’s shoes are simply down-sized for women, and not specifically made for women. However, with this specific shoe, I found the fit is slightly bigger than normal, and I needed a size down from my normal choice, so I suggest you first try on the shoe to make sure you have the correct fit.

 

 

Would I Buy this Shoe?

After running in the shoe, my answer is a definite yes! Thanks to the women-specific features and tech built into the design, I think PUMA has done its homework well to come up with a shoe that really addresses the needs of female runners, and I really enjoyed running in them. If you want to check the Run XX NITRO out, you’ll find them at your nearest PUMA stockists, selling at a recommended price of R3199.



BUY NOW

Made for Her, the PUMA RUN XX

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Made for Her, the PUMA RUN XX

PUMA releases its first women’s specific running shoe!

For too long, running shoes have been made for men and then redesigned to fit a woman’s foot shape. This season, PUMA is rewriting that narrative with the Run XX NITRO, a running shoe made for her.

Named for the woman-specific double X chromosome DNA sequence, the Run XX stands behind PUMA’s ‘Run for Her’ positioning to prioritize female runners’ needs in the way we build and engineer our products. In collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Biomechanics Lab, PUMA launched a research study recruiting 224 runners who logged more than 36,000 miles over eight weeks. In conclusion, 81 percent of women in the study preferred the Run XX over the control shoe and said they liked the cushioning and responsiveness of the Run XX over the control.

“This was the first time we conducted a large-scale study on female runners and the results will help us shape our approach to women’s running shoes going forward,” said Erin Longin, General Manager of the Run/Train business unit at PUMA, adding, “I believe this study will help us to continue to support female runners and keep them running longer.”

The Run XX features a progressive, female-specific design. Featuring an updated fit that hugs a woman’s heel, instep, and arch, the running shoe’s new firmer NITRO Foam midsole is the perfect balance of durable and lightweight. The shoe’s RUN GUIDE promotes proper alignment and increased stability for longer distances.

“As a runner myself, I want to know my running shoes will support by own biomechanics because women are made differently, and the Run XX does exactly that,” said Erin.

Run XX NITRO will be available from 24 June 2022 on PUMA.com, PUMA Stores, Totalsports, Superbalist, and selected retailers with a retail price of R3199.