Cape Town - Well-known paralympic medallist Louzanne Coetzee has set her sights on next month's London Marathon, of one the world's premier championship marathon events.
Coetzee won silver and bronze medals at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo last year. She was born blind and competes in the T11 category which is the highest level of visual impairment for athletes.
Coetzee runs with a guide Claus Kempen who recently competed in the Comrades Marathon. Kempen was with Coetzee last year when she claimed silver in the women’s 1500m T11 and bronze in the marathon T12 in Tokyo.
Her most notable achievement was setting a world record in the T11 5000m at the 2018 Grand Prix in Berlin, Germany.
When Coetzee runs the London Marathon, the primary objective will be to qualify for Paris 2024. This will be her second attempt to run the famous UK race.
"I am very excited about the London Marathon invite. What an honour," said Coetzee.
"Claus and I are looking to qualify for Paris 2024, and I believe we are fit and ready to go.
"We will give our best. I had a very traumatic first attempt at London, with ITB (overuse injuries among runners). I am looking forward to going back and experiencing more of the race."
Coetzee's partnership with Kempen is crucial to her career's success and it cannot be taken for granted. They need to consider each other's personal life and commitments.
"This relationship isn’t so much about the technical running next to each other and me telling her there’s a pothole or turn left or right. It’s about adaptability which means being able to change and deal with situations that arise," said Kempen.
"We both have families, other interests and full-time jobs. If you are not flexible and adaptable, then it’s going to be very tough. I think that the great thing about why it works is our respect for each other’s opinions. We don’t always agree, but we try to understand and talk it through.
"From the start, there was immediate chemistry: We understand each other. We’ve been together for seven years and, when I wasn’t in great shape, she told me as much. We communicated and got through it. We trust each other and know each other’s place. Our respective partners get along too."
Kempen outlined the challenges that as a team they must deal with.
"I am nine years older than Louzanne, and whilst I cannot even compare my life to hers, I have had my own challenges along the way," said Kempen. "These are challenges that she supports me with, and I support her back.
"I believe that if you can’t laugh about something, then you’re in trouble. I always ensure that we’re laughing when possible and there is a lot of fun along the way.
"Where I need her to perform is on the long distances. When it comes to the shorter distances, then it’s a bit more analytical. It is a little more focused and you don’t need someone silly by your side."
Preparations have gone to plan for the London Marathon and Coetzee will be the only disabled ambulant athlete competing in the race.
"Preparation is going well at this point," said Kempen. "Now that I competed in the Comrades I have turned my focus to London Marathon.
"October 2, is the date that the qualifications for the Paris Paralympics 2024 open and that’s the timeslot that you can qualify from.
'As a priority, we need to get her within the qualifying time, then everything else is a bonus. She has been specifically invited by London Marathon and will be the only disabled ambulant athlete that will be competing. She will start with the semi-elite athletes.
"We have enough mileage and haven’t focused too much on speed as it is not track season at this stage.
"The route is probably the easiest route of all the majors. We considered New York but travelling was a concern. Also, we are aiming to be the first ones to qualify for Paris, which made us decide on London Marathon. The fact that she got an invitation was perhaps a great sign.
"We will probably aim for a 3-hour 20-minute run, which is a lot slower than her current world record in the T11 marathon which is just under 3 hours and 12 minutes. We are not necessarily going to push for a world record here.
"On 17 October, we aim to do the Cape Town marathon. It is a tremendous privilege as she will serve as a pacesetter, I think as the 4-hour bus. She is going to help others achieve a sub-4 marathon, which is fantastic."
Coetzee has excellent support to help her pursue a high-profiled athletics career, and apart from Kempen she also has another guide who helps on the track
"Purely from a running perspective, she has two guides," said Kempen. "Estean Badenhorst is her track guide, and he has the X-factor. He brings out absolutely the best in her on the track.
"I, on the other hand, am the hand break, the guy who has to do the longer distances and pace ourselves.
'It helps in terms of the dynamics in the sense that we don’t see each other every day. Estean is about 4 years younger than her so it’s a nice mix.
"From a support system, Louzanne has her boyfriend Jeandre who is the humblest of individuals, ready to serve her and support her through and through. Then Dorothy and Pieter, her parents, brought her up and formed her into the person she can be right now. Her parents made her an independent person. Her sister too plays a massive role in her life."
Coetzee has been featured in the Profmed documentary series, titled Mind & Field. There is a professional team that coexists to provide scientific and expert support enabling athletes to achieve world-class standards.
The series also alerts athletes to the stresses and anxiety associated with their profession and how they should cope to ensure sound mental health.