German athlete Schicklinski Judith made her first debut at the 31st Edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, becoming the first foreign athlete to cross the finish line at the Molyko Omnisport Stadium.
Competiting for the first time, Judith described her participation as far more challenging than she had expected. Although she had prepared beforehand, the reality of the race proved different from what she imagined.
” My experience was not as simple as I thought, I had practiced about ten minutes of walking, but when I came to Cameroon, I realized it was much more demanding”
Judith explained that she was not a professional athlete and usually runs short distances mainly for leisure.” I like to run in the morning, usually just 10 kilometers. I’m not a professional. My goal was the intermediate task, but when I came down and reached the Governor’s office, there were so many people cheering. So I decided instead of going home, I could just run back to the stadium”
Coming from a region without mountains, she found the race both physically demanding and visually appealing. She particularly appreciated the natural environment and the encouragement from spectators, which motivated her to continue despite the difficulties.
Encouraged by the warm reception and her personal achievement, Judith expressed her desire to return for the next edition.
” I loved the experience and hope to do better in 2027″
On the other hand, Maralise Retief, a South African based shared her experience of the demanding competition. Unlike Judith, her participation was unplanned, after receiving a late invitation.”I only received an invitation on Wednesday, the 11th of February to join the race”
Despite the short preparation time, she described the event as worthwhile, although demanding ” participating was not that bad, but the challenges were really brutal” .
The tough condition however did not discourage her from future participation.”These challenges will not stop me. I would love to participate again and one day make it to the top”
