My Dad died just before I turned 7 and my mom when I was 28. I don’t really remember my Dad but I was very close to my mom. We did a few trips together most notably a three week trip through Europe and also a month across the States – we had a rip-roaring time (those were the days when I used to drink, well we both used to, and I could win a beer down-down against the most hardened male counterpart - why am I even telling you this?)

I went to convent as a child, quite a few years as a boarder, both in Bedford and East London. When I was 9, we went to live on a farm with my Aunt and Uncle and 6 cousins. The farm was called Breakfastvlei and was between Grahamstown and Peddie where we went to a village school. We spent three years on the farm and I think that’s where I learned to love the outdoors. It was a thoroughbred racing horse breeding farm.

I came to join my mom in Joeys in my last year of primary school at Houghton Primary. We lived in Orange Grove, known as Little Italy, for the next 10 to 12 years. I was very friendly with the neighbourhood boys and was a real tomboy.

Went to Waverley Girls high school, was quite an introvert and had a small circle of friends. I only did netball and only got involved in other sports like Hockey if I was forced to for interhouse or something like that. I was a real homebody and very much a couch potato. Who would have thought that I would go on to run about 70 marathons and ultra marathons, including 7 Comrades, and swim 3 Midmar Miles?

I met a Portuguese guy when I was 16, and went out with him for 9 years before I saw the light! I met my wonderful husband Mike at the office; we’ve been together for 22 years, married for 14.  We eloped, didn’t tell a soul and got married in Jamaica – highly recommended.

I was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 1999. Fortunately the growth was removed and check-ups since show that I am clear. It was a dark time in my life but was made all the more easy by the tremendous support I received from my family and friends, most notably my husband and my sister.

I have the most wonderful sister and brothers and truly the best in-laws anyone could hope for. My parents-in-law are like my own parents. Mike and I don’t have any kids of our own but have many nephews and nieces, as well as friends’ children who bring a lot of joy into our lives. We have two kitty-cats called China and Gismo, a ginger and a tortoise-shell.

I work in the financial services industry, for 28 years in employee benefits admin. In the last year, I’ve moved into Business project management which I really love.

Mike and I have traveled to many places all over the world but one of my favourite holidays was one of our first. We called it the Great Trek – we left Jhb, headed for Alexander Bay which is the most Northern tip of SA on the West coast and over three weeks drove all the way round to the most northern tip on the East Side – this holiday really show-cased our country and made me fall all the more in love with it, and with Mike!