Van Zyl offered people who are looking to overcome cancer some simple advice. "No matter how dark things can get - and they get really, really dark - there is always light at the end. Never ever give up! Bad situations never last forever - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Bridget Quayle
Battling the mental demons
+Australian Bridget Quayle suffers from mental health problems and wants to break the cycle in her family.
The 39-year-old from Canberra, who is a mother of two young boys and works part-time for the Australian Government, achieved a special goal of completing the 26km of the Tussock Traverse.
"Women in my family have inherited mental health issues which I would like to prevent," said Quayle. "Of course, I want to break that cycle." She took up trail running to help with her mental health and it has been a rewarding journey.
"Any exercise is good for mental health but running is extra calming for me," she said. "I am free to think about anything I want while running. The fresh air and the freedom make running a great escape as well as the endorphins afterwards."
She encouraged people to be proactive about their mental health issues. "Exercise, get into running, eat well and generally look after yourself. Positive psychology and gratefulness help."
Marty Clark
Amputee living life to the full
Marty Clark loves it when people tell him that he can't do something. It only makes him want to do it more.
The 54-year-old, who works for a project called "Get Moving", a jointly funded initiative by the Nelson City and Tasman District Councils, lost his left leg in a horrific motorcycle accident more than 30 years ago.
He still lives life to the full taking on sports like mountain-biking, golf, surfing and skiing. Clark, who has an infectiously positive attitude, said it was imperative for him to continue living a normal life.
"I think it is a fundamental human trait to be a valued member of a community. I'm not sure being rescued from cave systems in the Waikato through to being arrested in Arizona for hitchhiking on the freeway can be seen as particularly normal for a hindquarter amputee but you only get one life to live, so why not?" Clark said it was difficult to offer advice to others who have suffered a disability because no two people are the same. "I certainly believe we don't need to be confined or defined by our disability. Anyone with or without a disability can and should dream big. The biggest disability is likely to be the limitations we place on ourselves."
Dwarne Farley
Overcomes the pain to make impressive comeback
Tauranga multisport athlete Dwarne Farley never takes getting out for a run for granted.
The 41-year-old was the victim of a devastating accident just 15 months ago. He was out running at night in the country, where there were no street lights, and a 1200cc Harley came around the corner on the wrong side of the road and crashed into him. It caught his right leg as he tried to jump out of the way. The impact snapped his lower leg, inflicting a compound fracture of the right tibia and fibula with bone shards protruding from the skin. Repairing the damage included the insertion of a 385mm by 9mm rod from his knee to his ankle.
Multisporter Dwarne Farley is competing again after a serious injury. Photo / Michael Bradley
Farley, who plans to complete another Coast to Coast next year, knows he was fortunate.
"If I hadn't leapt out of the way the bike would have taken me head on and I'd be dead," he said. "The last thing I remember is the headlight bearing down on me, so I'm bloody glad my instincts kicked in and I jumped without thinking. The noise of the bone snapping was something I will never forget." Farley used the Waihi Nugget Multisport Festival as a stepping stone in his comeback to elite multisport. "Your mind is a powerful weapon and it can be used to overcome plenty of obstacles. At all times remind yourself how lucky you are because no matter what your own predicament is, there is always someone with a worse outlook than yours.
"Dream big and focus on attainable goals, surround yourself with good people, work hard and anything is possible. All cliches, I know, but all I believe are relevant when facing a potentially life-changing event."
Renee Still
Shows fighting spirit in running series debut
Renee Still had the time of her life taking on the Buffalo Trail Run and Walk series in Tauranga. The 28-year-old education support worker, who suffers from Crohn's disease, was one of the success stories of the trail running series this year. Still had been going to a boot camp for about six months when Dave from Beyond Personal Training suggested she try the Buffalo Trail Series that he and Sophie Irving were organising. "I signed up not really knowing how far 12km was," remembered Still.
"I had never done any events beforehand. Apart from two hours of boot camp a week, I hadn't done any other training." Still brought her father in-law, who does race walking, to the first event to keep her motivated.
"Man, did I need him, with suffering from severely inflamed Crohn's disease, low iron and not a lot of training ... we finally made it to the finish line." Still rallied and did exactly what all athletes want to achieve in a series, which is beat their time from event one. She ran her first 12km in 2:03:26 in event one and smashed that with 1:48:52 in event two. Still was not satisfied with her personal best. "The best part for me was crossing that finish line. It felt like such an accomplishment after all my health issues and I proved that if I can do it anyone can."
Calida Brunton
Runs in the memory of her mum
Every time Calida Brunton heads out for a run her mum is on her mind. The Kiwi had been living in the UK from 2000 and in 2012 her trip home coincided with her running the Taupo Half Marathon. Two years on competing in Taupo still held significance.
"My mum overestimated the time it would take for her to finish so she missed me crawl over the finish line," remembered the 41-year-old teacher at Tokoroa Intermediate with a laugh. "But we had a giggle and took the compulsory photos of proud mum and washed-out daughter."
The prize for finishing was a chocolate fish but it was the last thing Brunton wanted so she gave it to her mum as "they have always been her favourite". The pair went across the road and had a coffee to celebrate the achievement, which turned out to be the last time they would do that after an event.
"Mum passed away in September 2013 from cancer so this Half Marathon is a sentimental event for me now. I think about Mum every day," she said. Brunton completed the Tauhara Trail Run in Taupo to keep that memory alive. "For me it's a statement to myself that I am alive and I am healthy. These days, it's that simple. With some of Mum's friends at the finish line to greet me, it will be a moment tinged with sadness but also gratefulness."
Brent Melvill
Sheds kilos to change his life
When Brent Melville sat on his bike at the start line of the Milford to Invercargill Heart Kids Charity Ride he reflected on how far he had come. The 23-year-old teacher aid at Tisbury School in Invercargill has been on a life-changing journey of weight loss. He shed a whopping 45kg in just over six months. The signature race of the event was the 320km Milford to Invercargill ride. Melville attempted the ride from Te Anau, almost 200km.
"Over 180km is still a long way to ride for a guy that was 170kg only six and half months ago," he says. It all began in April when Melville decided enough was enough. "On May 1, it had taken me four weeks to read my weight on the scales," he remembers.
"It was three belt notches 'til I could see that I weighed in at 159.9kg. At my peak I was 170kg so I was one big boy. But on the 26th of July I was down to 132kg. I was back on track." Melville, now a guest speaker for Usana as a success story of the weight management programme, set the goal of being 110kg by Christmas. On January 22 he wants to be under 100kg, which he hasn't been since he was 10.
He said others looking to lose weight need to make sure they are living to their goals. "That change is hard at the start but it is possible ... Don't make excuses. You can change your life."
