#BeyondMyImpossible With Shaakirah Jaftha -

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.

Shaakirah is a single mother of two, who was born and raised in the Cape Flats. She works full-time in the IT industry and is studying part-time. Shaakirah is an adidas Runners Booster and has an absolute passion for running.

After leaving her relationship, Shaakirah set aside time to run in return; it cleared her mind and helped her deal with depression and anxiety, giving her a sense of freedom. Her dream is to inspire change and make a difference through sport, specifically running. She describes herself as “inspired to inspire.”

How would you describe yourself?

I am an ambivert. I speak less at times and listen more but sometimes speak too much. I can be carefree but I know when to switch on the strict serious personality which I have to being a mother of 2 active kids. I love the outdoors, hence the passion for running, trails and any sporting activity which involves being out in the sun. I can’t sit for too long but If I have too then I’ll chill just as hard as the next person lol. I love to laugh and socialise which means I talk for hours and voice notes from me are usually song length. Family is important to me. My support structure, my source of strength when I’m weak, my motivation and daily spiritual reminder.

What are your success habits and what are you proud of?

I set goals for myself in every area of my life that needs improvement and maintain time management. Because I’m a mom, student, employee and a runner, managing my time is so important because an extra hour spent on 1 thing means I would have to cut down on my time spent on another area in my life. My lifestyle meant that I had to seriously minimize any distractions and many couldn’t understand that at first until they really got to know me. At the moment I am proud of Me. I am proud of my growth.

How far do you think you are from achieving your big dreams?

Honestly, I haven’t thought about how far I still need to go because big dreams can become quite overwhelming when adding a time limit to them. As long as I am positive that I am going in the right direction, everyday will be a little piece of my dream.

What would you like to be the experience you want to share your mentees or children with?

Your past does not define your present and future. You will make mistakes along the way and some of those mistakes will make you feel as if your life has come to a complete stop but that’s when you get back up and push forward. We are not perfect so don’t allow your mind to take on all that pressure. We got this and continue to do what YOU love doing because success will follow.

What advice would you give to your past self-5 years ago?

5 years ago I was still stuck in a broken marriage with 2 kids trying to find a way to fix my marriage, fix my partner and show off that “happy wife, happy life” – I’d tell her to stop! Stop trying to fix things that are already broken. You might think you can’t do it on your own and that it might seem impossible but look beyond those possibilities and put YOU first! You’ll see how everything else falls into place after. You’ve been taking the risk for everyone else. It’s time to take the risk on you!

What advice do you have for female runners?

Push yourself because you’ll be surprised at how powerful and strong you are! We are raised with the belief that men are strong and women are weak but be kind to yourself because there are equal opportunities for women in all aspects of life. You are strong, you are beautiful and you can achieve all those running goals. Once you get out there you’re going to wonder why you doubted yourself in the first place. Take in all the amazing experiences and enjoy the freedom that running brings you.