This year adidas has invited a group of 11 women to come together, to go beyond their impossible and run their first-ever marathon – The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in October.
Adidas will guide these incredible and inspiring women from all walks of life through a holistic program leading up to the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 2022. Along their journey, we are documenting their experience, capturing what brought them to the table, and sharing HER stories.
Ashleigh and her identical twin sister were born profoundly deaf in Cape Town. She is a go-getter who enjoys outdoor activities and exploring hidden gems in South Africa and abroad. She received a cochlear implant at the tender age of five and obtained full language although she still lip-reads and with that comes many challenges.
Ashleigh set a goal for herself to complete a half marathon in July and after she put in all the effort and crossed the finish line, she needed a bigger goal – a full marathon. She wants to use her platform to show young deaf children that anything is possible and that they should not be excluded from any sport like she was as a child and that they can achieve anything! Ashleigh is a graphic designer, a deaf awareness advocate, and is always ready to take on a new challenge!
How would you describe yourself?
A deaf creative ambivert who loves a challenge.
What are your success habits and what are you proud of?
I am someone who didn’t have good time management skills. I’ve known since I first began preparing for the Cape Town Marathon that I needed to make a change in order to stay on track and maintain my training regimen. I bought myself a huge month-long calendar board and wrote down all of my workouts, office days, events, birthdays, and appointments on it. This board sits on my desk in my room so it’s right in front of me whenever I walk into my room, or it’s the first thing I see when I wake up. It has helped me become more reliable, and consistent, better manage my time and stop overcommitting myself to events.
How far do you think you are from achieving your big dreams?
I think I’m still quite far from achieving my big dreams, as I am a major dreamer with big goals in life for both myself and the deaf community.
What would you like to be the experience you want to share your mentees or children with?
to pursue their goals, and never give up on their dreams.
What advice would you give to your past self-5 years ago?
Exercise consistency, and patience, and have faith in the process.
What advice do you have for female runners?
Start today if you want to run. Don’t worry about your speed, size, weight, race, or disability. Just go beyond your impossible.
What is your time prediction for the Cape Town Marathon?
5-6 hours
