AKAKAKHOLWA lakhathesi ukuthi uzagijima iComrades Marathon yesithupha, uLala Cele, oveze ukuthi wangena emdlalweni wokugijima esetshelwe ngodokotela ukuthi usemathubeni okuhlaselwa yisifo senhliziyo ngenxa yokukhuluphala okwedlulisileyo.
Kulentokazi yaKwaMashu, eThekwini, okubukeka sengathi udiwo lufuze imbiza. Izalwa uHenry “Black Cat” Cele owayengumlingisi, aphinde abe umqeqetshi ebholeni. UCele odlule emhlabeni ngo-2007, wazakhela udumo ngokudlala indawo kaShaka kaSenzangakhona emdlalweni “iShaka Zulu.”
Waphinde wadlalela amaqembu amanengi okubalwa kuwo leLamontville Golden Arrows. Wake waqeqetsha le-African Wanderers.
Lakhathesi ingcitshi zomdlalo ezifana loSiyabonga “Bhele” Nomvethe, Sibusiso “Rhee” Zuma, Phumlani “BM” Mkhize labanye abawuvali umlomo ngezinga loqeqetsho abaluthola kuye. Kulumnyaka iComrades izabe imhlaka 9 Nhlangula. Isukela eThekwini, iphelele eMgungundlovu.
Lala Cele
ULala ongumdidiyeli kuHollywoodbets AC, utshele intatheli ukuthi kuvele kube engathi liphupho ukuthi uzagijima iComrades yesithupha.Uveze ukuthi ungene kulumdlalo kabuhlungu, ngo-2011.
“Ngangikhuluphele lokhu okuxakile. Ngase ngihlulwa layikuphefumula. Ngethuka lapho udokotela esithi ngisemathubeni okuphathwa yisifo senhliziyo. Wathi igazi lalingasayi kahle enhliziyweni ngenxa yamafutha. Waphinda wathola lokuthi sengilesifo sofuba. Ngavele ngacabanga ukuthethiswa ubaba,” kubeka uLala ongumgijimi ongabhekanga kunqoba.
Uqhube wathi akabanga esabheka emuva, waqhubeka ngokujima. Uthe wajoyina iqembu elalenza ama-aerobics, enkundleni ye-tennis. Uthe babeqeqetshwa nguBheki “Polo B” Ngcobo.ULala uveze ukuthi ngo-2016 waqala ukungenela imiqhudelwano esezizwa ukuthi usengcono. Waqala ngokugijima iMandela Day Marathon.
Lala Cele
“Angazi ukuthi isibindi esingaka ngasithathaphi. IComrades yami yokuqala yayingo-2017. Ngayilungiselela umnyaka owodwa. Kwakunzima, ngingazi lutho ngomdlalo wokugijima. Ngagijima ngizigqokele amateki angekho ezingeni.
Kwakunyukwa. Ngangizigqokele lewashi, umcwayizeni. Ngangitshelwe ukuthi kungatshayi isikhathi esithile ngingaqedanga. Kwangethusa. Ngenhlanhla ngawuqeda umjaho. Ngenza isikhathi esiyi-11:33. IComrades eyalandelayo yaba ngcono. Ngaqeda kusakhanya. Ngenza i-10:16”.
ULala ucele abesifazane ukuthi baphatheke kumdlalo wokugijima lezemidlalo jikelele.“Abesifazane baqamba amanga besithi isikhathi abalaso kodwa bahlala besemafonini. Singabesifazane sithwele okunengi emahlombe ethu. Sicina singayinakekeli kahle imndeni yethu.
Ezemidlalo zifana lodokotela wengqondo. Nxa ugijima uyakhohlwa okwesikhatshana inkinga. Abangavumi abantu ukufana lami engaphoqeleka ukungena ekugijimeni.”—Ubulembu
