Thanks to Team Vitality I am now a runner!

Published in February 2017

Two years ago, Vusi Mhlaziyi Ndlovu was unhealthy, overweight and running was the furthest thing from his mind - never mind running an ultra-marathon. With Discovery Vitality and Team Vitality, though, he achieved the unimaginable. Vusi lost 19 kilograms and has since gone from strength to strength running marathons and is now currently training for the Ultimate Human Race – The Comrades Marathon.

Discovery introduced me to the world of fitness through Vitality

Vusi joined Vitality to enjoy the Virgin Active gym discounts and cash back on certain benefits. He weighed 99kg, and his health had become an issue. After failing a series of medical assessments at work due to weight issues he decided to take an online assessment with Discovery Vitality. And this is where it all started! His Vitality Age came back as being 9 years older than his actual age. “This didn’t sit well with me and I told myself I had to do something about my lifestyle,” he says.

How Team Vitality helped me get to Comrades

With a BMI above 32 and affecting his everyday life, Vusi started running to lose weight. At this point, just climbing a few steps was a struggle. In January 2016 he started jogging to achieve his weight loss goal. Vusi says he wanted help to get motivated and he knew joining a running club would help him do just that.

Browsing through his Discovery profile, he came across Team Vitality. “I didn’t waste time – I joined Team Vitality Running and received my gear and licence within a week.” He says once he received his gear his weight loss goal was partnered with a goal to complete a half marathon. “I downloaded a 21km programme from Team Vitality, and ran my first half marathon in May 2016 – in a time of 2:20”. The feeling he got when completing races was so overwhelming that he was already looking forward to the next race the following week. “I could see the change in my body, I was starting to lose weight.” With each half marathon his times improved, and his third half marathon, Township to Township was completed in a time of 2:04. “Running a race teaches you to never give up”. Vusi has found running addictive even feeling guilty if he misses a training session.

He then decided he wanted to aim for Comrades and was told he would need to complete a marathon in under 5 hours to be able to enter. He went back online to the Team Vitality portal and downloaded a training programme put together by Comrades legend, Bruce Fordyce. “I printed it for the office and at home as a reminder of my running schedule” he says. He entered the Soweto Marathon and his goal to finish his first marathon had begun. He did long runs on weekends with other Team Vitality members and started losing even more weight, which motivated him. A fellow Team Vitality member encouraged him to enter the Comrades Marathon before entries closed. The Soweto Marathon came and he completed the Soweto Marathon in a time of 4:44, a Comrades qualifier. After the race he weighed himself again and his weight had dropped from 99kg to 82kg in just nine months.

Vusi is now preparing for his next race before Comrades, Om die Dam and again using a programme from the Team Vitality portal.

Vusi’s advice to other Team Vitality members

Vusi encourages people to do regular health checks and eat well. “If you wanting to lose weight, before and after pictures play an important role – they serve as motivation” he says. “Manage your time carefully, it is crucial to have a running schedule and log your mileage to track progress. Included in time management is getting enough rest. Vusi adds that it is vital to choose the correct shoes and know your running technique to avoid injury.

Good luck Vusi for the Comrades Marathon, we look forward to hosting you post-race at our hospitality!

Not yet a member? Join Team Vitality, SA’s most popular running and cycling club today!