Latest news with #Dijana
Newsweek
5 days ago
- General
- Newsweek
Husky on Euthanasia List After Being Hit by a Car—Then Unexpected Happens
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A husky who was believed to have been hit by a car and found near the wreckage was placed on the euthanasia list due to his severe injuries—until rescuers stepped in to save him. Cosmo, thought to be a 2-year-old husky, was discovered in a rural area of Patterson, California on July 24. He was unable to walk due to a suspected broken leg, had a painful head wound, and was in extreme pain. He was lying in the shade near the debris of a car, leading rescuers to believe he was hit by a vehicle. Cosmo was taken to Stanislaus Animal Services Agency, but due to the severity of his injuries and the pain he was suffering, he was added to the euthanasia list. He was due to be put down on July 26, but then Saving Gizmos Friends, a rescue organization, spared his life. Dijana Josic, the Director of Rescue Operations and Programs at Saving Gizmos Friends couldn't let poor Cosmo lose his life through no fault of his own. Josic told Newsweek that Cosmo was in so much pain and "they could not manage at the shelter," so her rescue organization immediately transported him to Standiford Veterinary Center. Cosmo after surgery with a cone around his neck. Cosmo after surgery with a cone around his neck. @savinggizmosfriends / Instagram "After getting seen by our doctor, it was confirmed that Cosmo arrived at the shelter with a broken left femur, likely from being hit by a car," Dijana said. "His injury was so severe it required urgent hospitalization, intensive pain management, and preparation for complex orthopedic surgery involving both a plate and intramedullary pin." Following the complex surgery, Cosmo must rest for around 8 to 12 weeks, with only short walks on a leash for bathroom breaks. Thankfully, he appears to be doing well and volunteers at Saving Gizmos Friends can't wait to see him back on his feet. "He is on multiple pain medications and has frequent vet checkups to make sure his leg is healing properly. He is healing wonderfully and will soon be able to run without any limitations," Dijana continued. Videos of Cosmo have been shared on the rescue's social media accounts (@savinggizmosfriends on Instagram). The videos detail the severity of Cosmo's injuries, as well as documenting his ongoing recovery after surgery. While he still has a long way to go yet, his personality is already shining through. He has started to show just how loving and social he can be, and Dijana tells Newsweek that Cosmo loves people, children, other dogs, and is a "true social butterfly." His forever home is out there somewhere, and Dijana hopes he will find it soon. "Cosmo is an incredibly sweet and goofy boy who brightens everyone's day. He's great on a leash, walks nicely and enjoys every step. One of his favorite things is getting gentle facial massages, and he's always excited for treats," Dijana said. She continued: "Cosmo would thrive in a loving home where he can get plenty of attention and social interaction. A family or individual who enjoys daily walks and gentle play would be perfect. A calm environment where he can get lots of affection and have opportunities to explore and socialize would suit him best." The social media response to Cosmo's story has been overwhelmingly positive, and Dijana is so thankful for all the support that's has been sent his way. Whether it's with donations or well wishes, Cosmo has received so much love since being hit by a car. "His journey hasn't been easy, but we remain hopeful for the best," Dijana said. Many internet users have taken to the comments section to thank Saving Gizmos Friends for doing everything they can to save Cosmo. One comment reads: "Thank you for saving Cosmo! Welcome to your next, very best chapter yet!" Another Instagram user wrote: "This made my day! A Husky that was saved by this incredible team." While another person replied: "Omg thank you for saving his life, he's the cutest!" Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
TimesLIVE
09-06-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Dijana says he conquered ‘the devil' to win 2025 Comrades
Tete Dijana felt he conquered 'the devil' by winning the 2025 Comrades Marathon on Sunday's , recovering from a gruelling run where he struggled with dizziness and cramps to finish 14th last year. The 37-year-old from Mahikeng in the North West crossed the line in 5hrs 25min 28sec to bag his third Comrades Marathon down run triumph. He won the back-to-back downs in 2022 and 2023. Dijana beat second-placed Dutchman and last year's winner Piet Wiersma by just five seconds, replicating the sprint finish between the Nedbank Running Club teammates and result of the last down race in 2023.
IOL News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Dijana and Steyn take Comrades glory
Tete Dijana won his third Comrades Marathon title in the down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on Sunday. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers Down run king Tete Dijana came out victorious with Piet Wiersma hot on his heels during the 98th edition of the Comrades Marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on Monday. On the women's front, Gerda Steyn made it her fourth Comrades Marathon win. Dijana said he felt like a real winner, and he was indeed, a 'down-run real champion'. 'I was so excited. Very, very excited and also emotional because I remember what happened last year… I was in the best shape, but the devil came, so I was happy that at least the devil didn't attack me this year,' Dijana said. 'I've been getting pressure from social media saying, 'don't let it go again', they used the word again. So I had to fix everything.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Dijana said he came prepared. His game plan in the morning was eyeing everyone, checking who was leading, but not underestimating his mates. On Wiersma closing in on him, Dijana said: 'In the last 10 kilometres, I saw he was closing in. Then I accelerated a little bit, and then the gap opened.' Wiersma, the 2024 champion, said he felt like he was in the best shape of his life and even better than last year. 'I was having a lot of discomfort over those last kilometres. Sometimes I was closing and sometimes Tete was gaining some distance,' Wiersma said. 'He's the absolute down run king, right now. I'm going to try next year to be the upper king again.' Third-place Nikolai Volkov said the race went according to his plan. 'The first part of the race was based only on my feelings,' Volkov said. 'At one point in time, I was outraced by a big group of 15 people. I decided that I didn't want to go with them. I was still trying to cooperate with my feelings. In the last 20km, I caught up to 12 guys from this group.' Gerda Steyn clinched her fourth Comrades Marathon title on Sunday. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/ Independent Newspapers Steyn said she set out at not too blistering a pace, a little bit more of a conservative approach. "I really wanted to run the race correctly. It worked out well. It got comfortable for most of the way,' Steyn said. 'There was a little bit of a moment where I realised that Alexandra (Morozova) was closing the gap on me quite significantly in the really last stages of the race, which really made me stay on my toes and make sure that I am 100% focused and getting the most out of myself.' The champion said she had a time in mind, but not a strict one. She planned on getting in under 5 hours and 55 minutes. She added that it was an honour to give Hollywood Athletics Club a winner this year. Second place, Morozova said this is her best Comrades result and her best pace. 'Until the 30th kilometre, I kept the pace with Gerda… but after the 30th kilometre, it became clear that it was just a warm-up for Gerda… I decided to let Gerda run her race and to play my game,' Morozova said. 'I'm really glad I held my second place because at one point in time, I thought that the race for me was almost over. 'At one point in the race, I saw how Dominika (Stelmach) started to close the gap, and I was really afraid that she'll catch me.' Shelmisth Muriuki claimed third place on her first Comrades Marathon. 'I would like to say that it is through God's grace because I almost gave up at 50km… because my legs were paining, I had blisters… it is just God,' Muriuki said. 'The race was good. It was amazing.' Cape Times
The Citizen
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Lucrative victories: How much Dijana and Steyn earned in prize money
Steyn received a little more than Dijana for reaching a hotspot point first. Tete Dijana after winning the men's race at the Comrades Marathon on Sunday. Picture: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images Comrades Marathon winners Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn were well rewarded on Sunday, raking in more than R1.5 million each at the annual ultra-distance race in KwaZulu-Natal. Dijana held off a challenge from Dutch athlete Piet Wiersma to win the men's race in 5:25:28, securing his third career Comrades victory. Steyn won the women's race by nearly five minutes, completing the 90km contest in 5:51:19 to earn her fourth Comrades title. Prize money and bonuses For their efforts, both athletes took home R874 000 as the race winners. In addition, they received R200 000 as the first South African runners to finish, while Steyn also picked up R50 000 for being the first woman through a hotspot point in the second half of the race. While neither athlete broke their own race records, which were set on a course that was more than two kilometres shorter in 2023, they both also received R500 000 for setting the fastest average pace ever recorded in the men's and women's 'down' run events. In total, Dijana took home R1.574 million and Steyn earned R1.624 million.
Daily Maverick
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Analysis: The Comrades Marathon ‘day of drama' starring Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn as victors
The Comrades Marathon is always a riveting show. On Sunday, Gerda Steyn and Tete Dijana starred — supported by cast members from all walks of life. The beauty of the Comrades Marathon is that it doesn't matter whether you are an elite athlete or a novice runner — crossing that finish line after hours of running evokes the same emotions: elation and relief. After hours of testing one's body, mind and spirit, reaching the finish is the best reward. The medal is just a bonus. As such, everyone who managed to endure the physical torture that comes with running the ultramarathon would have been as thrilled as the two 2025 champions, Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads On Sunday, about 22,000 runners lined up for the 98th edition of one of the toughest ultramarathons in the world, battling themselves and the clock for victory during the 90km run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. 'What a day of drama. Packed with action from the start, the men's race, the women's race. Then, of course, there was the greatest race of all: everybody against the clock. That clock ticks at a relentless pace. It never cramps and it never gets tired. It just keeps going,' said nine-time Comrades champion Bruce Fordyce on SuperSport. Dijana's redemption Chasing redemption following a calamitous display as defending champion in 2024 — which saw him finish 14th — Dijana paced himself admirably on the way to crossing the finish line first, in 5:25:28. A year ago, the pressure of winning a historic hat-trick of Comrades titles had tripped Dijana up. He was also hampered by cramps. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads In 2025, there were no such occurrences. Dijana bunched up with fellow favourites including the eventual men's runner-up, Piet Wiersma, Edward Mothibi, David Gatebe and Joseph Manyedi. They were all chasing the early pacesetter, Onalenna Khonkhobe. Khonkhobe did not finish the race, despite leading it for 4½ hours. At one point, the 2024 Two Oceans Marathon winner enjoyed a gap of 19 minutes from the chasing pack, which featured Dijana and Wiersma. At Pinetown's Cowies Hill, the chasers caught up to and passed Khonkhobe. Then Dijana, Wiersma and Mothibi peeled away from the bunch. However, Mothibi struggled to keep up with Wiersma and Dijana. 'Today was not a good day for me. I was fit, I was ready. It's only when you run where you don't know what to expect,' said Mothibi. 'With 20km to go, I started cramping, but I held on. When Tete saw I was not coming back, he asked me what's going on. I said, 'I'm getting cramps. I don't think I'll be good to run with you. So, if you have a chance to go, just go.' He did exactly that,' said he 2019 winner. After failing to chase Dijana down, the Netherlands' Wiersma acknowledged that he and Dijana had built a rivalry over the last few years — one which will probably persist for some time as the two marathoners seek to outshine each other. 'Tete is clearly the down-run king right now. But I hope I can be the up-run king with a victory next year,' said Wiersma. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads Steyn reigns supreme While the crown for the current king of the Comrades is being jousted for by Dijana and Wiersma, Olympian Steyn reigns supreme in the women's segment. Nevertheless, in Sunday's down run, Steyn did not have it all her way, with 2022 champion Alexandra Morozova putting pressure on her. Steyn wore her trademark smile for large portions of the race. However, at times, she grimaced as Morozova hovered over her shoulder. Eventually, Steyn's experience and home advantage paid dividends as she cruised to victory over the Russian, with a gap of almost five minutes. In third place, Kenya's Shelmith Muriuki became the first black woman to finish on the Comrades podium. Despite her history-making achievement, Muruiki finished 16 minutes behind home favourite Steyn. 'You feel like you are not inside your own body. It's like you are looking down on yourself doing it. To get to a point where you are in the finishing straight and you are going to win, it is meaningful and impactful,' said Steyn after her fourth Comrades victory. With more than 24,000 entries for this year's race, the organisers split the participants into two groups at the starting point. They were 15 minutes apart, with the elite runners heading off first. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads About 22,000 runners eventually lined up and the staggered start worked well in preventing pushing and shoving at the beginning. The exercise was a trial run for 2027, when many more participants are expected due to it being the 100th Comrades Marathon. DM
