Johannesburg - South African marathon and ultramarathon legend Gerda Steyn has for decades dominated the tracks and along the way, has walked away with some of the biggest honours.
This includes two Comrades and four Two Oceans Marathon titles.
Now, for the first time, the nation will get a glimpse into the 33-year-old’s elite mentality.
Steyn features alongside four distinguished female athletes in adidas’s new original docu-series, “Remember My Name”.
The documentary commemorates their remarkable accomplishments as South African athletes in their respective disciplines while shedding light on the challenges faced by women in sports.
And Steyn, the golden girl of South African road running, is thrilled to share glimpses into her life for the series.
“It was an honour to feature in this series created by adidas which aims to shine light and provide some insights of what it looks like to be a female in sport in South Africa,” she told The Saturday Star this week.
“I believe that the professionalism of the production team, together with the stories told by the different athletes will be well received and provide viewers with a glimpse into our mindsets, the challenges we face and also the joy that sport has brought to our lives.
“I also love how our unique stories will come together to create a series of motivational stories that can speak to a broader audience.”
Steyn has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of the Free State, making her a qualified Quantity Surveyor. Her journey into running started almost a decade ago when she was just 24 years old, when she got the opportunity to work as a quantity surveyor in Dubai. Here she decided to join a running club for the social aspect.
“Being a professional athlete changed my life and when I started running in 2014, everyone in my running group was training for an ultra-marathon and I was running socially to keep fit and I ended up joining them. That is how my running journey began,” she said.
Since then, Steyn has participated on the international stage in a number of Abbott World Marathon Majors, coming 13th and 11th in the New York Marathon in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and 7th in the London Marathon in 2020; while also representing South Africa at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing in 15th position.
And in 2019, Steyn competed in her fifth Comrades Marathon and won the 87 kilometres up-run in a record time of 5:58:53, becoming the first woman to finish the race in under six hours. Two years later, she broke a 25-year record to become the South African Marathon record holder (2:25:28). And in 2022, she broke a 33-year record on her way to a hattrick win at the 56km Two Oceans ultra-marathon (3:29.42).
Steyn joined the adidas family last year and since then she has been working closely with the team.
“One aspect that has always stood out for me is their emphasis on female empowerment,” Steyn said.
“When they first approached me with regards to filming a docu-series, I had no hesitation to say yes, because I knew that it had the potential to touch the lives and inspire many people.”
And with the documentary, she hopes to motivate others to be more active.
“I want people to believe in themselves and to recognise the power of sport and the impact it can have on one's life.”
And in regards to her segment on “Remember My Name”, Steyn admitted that getting the important points highlighted was not always easy.
“But I think that it was put together successfully and that we managed to capture enough to carry out a clear message and also provide some background history of how running, in my case, started and developed into a full time career,” she said.
She added that she thinks that the documentary’s viewers will be most surprised by the fact that running has not been part of her life growing up.
“We see athletes perform, crossing the finish line and assume that it has always been their way of life, but that is not the way my life has been and I think it will catch many people by surprise.”
And apart from featuring on the documentary and all her past achievements, Steyn now has one goal for 2023.
“I want to run a marathon with the aim of qualifying for my second Olympic games that is taking place next year,” she said.
For more information and to watch the engaging "Remember My Name" docu-series, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_c1p-k9-_c&t=24s