Samson Vilakazi, a pump attendant at Engen 1Stop in Belfast, Mpumalanga is a super star on and off the forecourt.
Competing against 21 000 people in this year’s Comrades Marathon, Samson scooped a silver medal, competing the gruelling ultra-marathon in under 7 hours. Dewald de Klerk, the franchisee at Engen Belfast says Samson is extremely committed to his chosen sport.
“We are very proud of Samson’s achievements. This was his fourth Comrades Marathon and he has previously won a bronze and two silver medals. He has also competed in several other major races including Gods Window, which he has consecutively won for the past few years.”
Samson has always had a love for athletics. “I did long distance running at school and I still remember my first long distance race at Dullstroom where I came first. I was immediately hooked and I’ve run ever since and competed in several marathons a year,” he says.
It takes a lot of commitment to stay in peak form. Having worked at Engen Belfast for the past five years, Samson has a strict schedule. He runs 15km on Monday and Tuesday. From Wednesday to Friday he ups his distance to 21km per day. On Saturday it’s a lengthy 40km out on the road.
“When preparing for the comrades, for about a month prior to the race, I run 50km every second day.”
De Klerk encourages Samson to follow his dreams and to stay passionate about his chosen sport at which he clearly excels.
“We wish him every success for the 2018 Comrades Marathon, where with a bit of luck we might even see Samson take gold.”