Alyssa Conley
Wednesday, August 12, 2015That loooong wednesday that is how I feel my wednesday is but there is two days left of the week left :). On that note of being Fast!
On who you are…
I'm a believer.. I believe that hard work and dedication will get you where you want to be in life. Im a fitness lover who wants to empower women to work hard towards their dreams and goals in life. My passion ever since I was a young scholar has been athletics and its my dream to one day call myself an olympian.
On running…
I started running at the age of 7 at an underprivileged school, running on rocks and gravel barefoot my teachers nicknamed me ‘Zola bud”. Ever since then I've been to provincial championships, national championships and I’ve won a couple of international events. Im a 100m and 200m sprinter I love speed, theres nothing bettter then the feeling you get after running a fast race. I feel like I'm the model and the track is my runway.
On your First Run...
My first international run took place in melbourne, Australia. It was amazing at the age of 11 I was chosen to represent South Africa in the 100m and 200m. I remember the 100m final like it happened yesterday. It was raining badly, everyone looking and speaking about me as I was the only athlete competing barefoot while everyone had spikes on. I was focused and determined, I dreamt about this all my life.
My mom and sister was in the crowd watching as I settled in my starting blocks. Boom! the gun fired and all I remember was raising my hand as I crossed the finish line with a new record. This was a dream come true standing on the podium in first place watching the South African flag being raised and singing the national anthem proudly. It was then that I realised this is my destiny I will be an olympian sprinter.
On Street culture…
I've always been a quiet indoors person. My street culture is proberbly a three lol. Lately though I've fallen in love with the retro hippie style, I enjoy hanging around Newtown and Braamfontein and just learning about fashion and style. Being an athlete I wear athletics gear 80% of the time. But I'm learning and increasing my street cred rating.
On Running culture…
Running flows through my veins. I hate not being in the mix of things when it comes to a running event, I need to know whats up and whats happening. I haven't caught onto the distance running bug though but it is on my bucket list to run a marathon.
On gadgets...
Whats life these days without ones gadgets. My phone is the last thing I look at when I sleep and the first thing I pick up when I wake up. ( I sometimes even search for my phone while I'm sleeping lol). Gadgets that’s a must have in my running culture is my earphones, ipod and foam roller. My foam roller is a life saver and often helps me get through my tough track sessions.
On injury…
My pet peeve, I have been running for 17 years now that’s a lot of mileage on one's body. If I were a car I'd be worth nothing but luckily I'm human lol. I have suffered from injuries since the age of 18 and ive missed huge opportunities due to injury. However I've gotten to a stage where I believe it is mind over matter and you need to push pass your “limitations” make your mind strong and you body will follow. Goodbye injuries #injuryfree
On achievements…
My biggest achievements to date includes:
Pacific School Games Champion 100m.
Youth world championships finalist 100m and 200m.
Junior African champion 200m.
Senior National Champion 100m.
Reigning provincial champion 100m and 200m for 12 years straight.
On future goals…
Female sprinters in South Africa are not well recognised. I want to change that and show the world that we have amazing talent. I want to be the first woman to run under 11 seconds in the 100m and break the 22 second barrier in the 200m. I want to be an olympic finalist and end my career off by competing in the 2022 Commonwealth Games that will hopefully be hosted in KZN.
On your social media…
My social media has picked up over the past couple of months. I'm an instagram die hard but I must admit I need a twitter book for dummies, I just cant get the hang of it. I'm slowly getting into the snapchat world (I know im delayed).
I use social media as a form of motivation for my athletics career, I follow my role models such as Allyson Felix just to get some inspiration before my training session. My sister and I also use social media as a platform to empower and motivate women to believe in themselves and their dreams. Follow me @Fit_Chic_sistaz for motivation, guidance and inspiration on fitness
On Pink…
Pink means Power. Women especially in South African sport is underestimated yet we stronger then we think. Pink represents the challenges and struggles women face with dignity, integrity and poise. We hold our own.
On Pain…
Pain is temporary, failure lasts forever, success is achieved by hard work. That’s my favourite saying when it comes to pain. I'm often in pain when I'm training and there are many times when I just wanted to stop and give up but I keep telling myself that “ I'm putting money in the bank” and when its time to withdraw I can do it with a smile therefor Pain wont defeat me.
On women’s running (why women should run)…
Running relieves stress and tension, it unleashes the inner beast in you. Most women think they can't do it and that its just to difficult but once they cross the finish line they break limits. Women should run because they can do it.
On the Past you...
I've always been an athlete but I believe more now. The past me had lots of doubts and mind limitations but now I know I can am I'm going to achieve my goals.
When I die…
I want people to remember me for my perseverance and dedication in being a better person to myself, my family and the world.
#RunRevolution
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