Myrette Filmalter
Many surprises are experienced during and after the running of the Discovery Surfers Challenge, but perhaps the 2011 chapter turned up the biggest of all – and one that could well see the event become a national race of far bigger preportions.
The organisers and sponsors are used to hosting celebrity runners like Bruce Fordyce, but they and the media were caught unawares when a young lass by the name of Myrette Filmalter popped up.
The surprise had an unfortunate slant to it in that she enterred late and according to the race rules would be ineligble for podium prizes.
Myrette emerged first from the water at the Gonubie River, handily ahead of pre-race favourite and previous winner, Hanlie Botha.
Botha was to go and win, but Myrette would remain in second position by a long way.
So who is this woman, what is her pedigree and what does she think about being “jilted” at the finish, just two days before Valentines Day?
STEEPLECHASE and CROSS COUNTRY:
Myrette is a 3000m stepplechase champion who has competed for South Africa at the All Africa and Commonwealth Games. Furthermore she has appeared in the green and gold on numerous cross country occasions, including the World Championships in France.
Her father and brothers have all competed at the World Triathlon and Duathlon Championships and so too did she participate in the Triathlon champs, in USA and this while in matric. Indeed she had to write some of her finals while in the US. That was 1999 and she finished 9th.
The following year Myrette was back in SA triathlon colours in Calais, France.
The 30 year old from Pretoria studied at Tuks, for whom she still runs, and qualified with a masters degree in Critical Care.
2005 saw her working in the UK where she participated in the British League, finishing third in the women’s 3000m steeplechase series.
Myrette’s next goal is to break 34min for the 10km.
HOW DID SHE HEAR OF SURFERS?
Sitting at breakfast in an East London establishment, she and her boyfriend overheard chatter about this race called the Surfers. Automatically she knew she just had to enter.
Running up front and knowing that she would not count for a position left a degree of sadness hanging over her, but she kept her head and focussed on the way forward.
Although a tad weary, Myrette was very excited emerging from the Gonubie River and then the crowds simply boosted her. “It was awesome” she said. The water points were superb and the people of Gonubie rousing.
The only other time Myrette had been to East London was when she was nine years old and she arrived by train to run? – You got it, the SA Cross Country Champs.
Will she come back despite the disappointment? Absolutely!
Would she care to run other off road events? Myrette replies in the affirmative and adds that the area and the terrain lends itself to such outings.
There may be a happy ending – Myrette could well be the draw card entry for Discovery and the Surfers Challenge in 2012.
For the record her time was a very good 85 minutes.
