Like most people living in the highveld, Theresa Soko was apprehensive about cycling in Centurion's busy streets, until she joined Team Vitality in Centurion.
The first cycling club in South Africa was opened in Gqeberha (then Port Elizabeth) in 1881 and by the late 1800s cycling had become popular in the Witwatersrand area. Fast forward more than a century and Cape Town has become the unofficial cycling capital of South Africa. But that doesn't mean the highveld - particularly Johannesburg and Pretoria - has a dearth of great cycling routes.
"My love of cycling started in 2021 when I joined Team Vitality Centurion. My focus was on running; cycling never crossed my mind. I had a serious phobia of being out there on the road with my bike," admits Theresa Soko. But she decided to embrace the industrious spirit the city is known for and push through the fear of being on her bike on busy roads. "The game changed when I changed my mindset. The right mindset changes everything because it changes how you look at things. When you change how you look at things, it changes how you feel," says Theresa.
Conquering the tarmac
Cycling has now become South Africa's largest participation sport and more people like Theresa - from Durban to Cape Town - are choosing to get on bikes and hit the road together. All Theresa needed to do was change her mind and that was the start of great things for her fitness journey: "Team Vitality changed everything for me. I started riding every Saturday with Team Vitality to get to my comfort zone." Once her confidence had been built, she started planning milestones to keep the momentum going. "I was ready to face the cycling world and entering for races was my next goal," says Theresa.
She set her sights on conquering the world's second largest timed cycle race, the 947 Ride Joburg race. "I was consistent on my bike, with a clear goal to challenge myself to greater heights. Next on the list was entering for big races like Amashova, Dis-Chem Ride and Emperors Palace Cycle race. That was well achieved and I never looked back," she says. And look back she hasn't.
The winning mindset
Since then she's not only achieved her fitness goals, but cycling has also helped Theresa to feel better about herself both emotionally and physically. "Cycling builds grit, resilience and confidence and it's important to have these traits," says the Gauteng resident. Thanks to being part of Team Vitality, she aims to add the Cape Town Cycle Tour to her cycling races. "This year I'm also aiming to add Maluti Double 90 to my list; cycling completes my day." Theresa's advice to fellow cycling enthusiasts is to keep going, "Don't let life get in the way of your passion, stay motivated and follow your heart. Your mindset matters."