FORUM NAME:  LeDolceVita

Name:  MONIQUE STOFFBERG

Club:  MAGNOLIA ROAD RUNNERS

Running history:

"There is always one moment in life when the door opens and let the future in. Live a Lifetime in Every Minute" is a motto I created for myself.

I am forever and optimist who sees the good before the bad, 
the pretty before the ugly, 
the positive before the negative, 
a reason to do something opposed to a reason not to do something.

My love for running started in 1985 whilst in std.9. I limited it to short distances ie. 2kms in the morning and 2kms in the evenings,
eventually doing 4kms every morning and evening.

After about a year of just doing this, my dad took me out on the road one Sunday morning and we just kept running and running.
When done he asked me if I know how far I ran. I had no idea. He said...... 13km. What!!!???

There and then my love for running longer was born and a deep deep deep desire to run Comrades like my dad did.

Us children were brought up with a belief: "ons van der westhuizens gooi nooit tou op nie".

I was training to run Comrades in 1988 (the year I turned 20) but was unfortunately hit by acute shin splints and was out for a good 6 months.

Got married in 1989 so time just flew by. This fire kept burning until in 2003 I decided enough was enough and started running again.

My dream was achieved in 2005 and it was the most extraordinary experience I have ever had - very spiritual too.

After Comrades I was looking for another goal. I found my 1986 journal and in there I wrote "Ek wil N.Tvl verteenwoordig in driekamp".

In 2006 I achieved that goal and was honoured to have participated in the SA Champs as well as the World Cup.

My next goal: 

My comeback marathon Soweto 4th November 2007.