3 days ago
#TheSomedayShift: From ‘I can't' to canyon conqueror
Welcome to The Someday Shift – a space where we celebrate everyday people who stopped waiting and started doing. Convincing people to try something they never thought possible is one of my superpowers and these are their stories.
Two years ago, I received a call from a fast-talking, very nervous woman.
'Hello,' she blurted out. 'I want to join your programme, but I'm unfit, carrying more weight than I'd like (who isn't, I thought to myself), and I can't even walk around the block.'
I listened and simply replied, 'Come and try. You'll be fine.' I reassured her she would be safe. It's important to create spaces where people can show up, even when they don't feel like they belong in an active setting. They may look different or not fit a mould and that is okay.
That woman was Nicola Smuts, and she recently crossed the finish line of Kruger2Canyon, a multi-day trail event through some of South Africa's most breathtaking and demanding terrain. The race spans the northern Drakensberg, the Blyde River Canyon and bushveld near Kruger National Park.
But Nicola's journey didn't start with a grand goal. It began with one brave decision: To move, to try, to step outside her comfort zone.
She pitched up and kept pitching up. From struggling to walk around the block to completing her first 5km, then 10km.
Her family began to notice the change. Nicola wasn't dabbling in a fad, she was creating a new normal.
She wasn't sure where it would all lead, only that she needed change. With support from the Ordinarily Active community, consistent effort and a quiet shift in mindset, transformation followed.
'I never saw myself as that person,' Nicola reflected. 'But over time, I hesitantly started to believe I could be.'
That's what living life actively is about. Not being the fittest or fastest, but showing up, especially when it feels hard. It's about becoming the kind of person who does things they once thought impossible. It's about contributing and inspiring others along the way.
Was Kruger2Canyon hard? Absolutely. Did she doubt herself? Yes. Was it worth it? A resounding YES.
So if you have been waiting for a sign – this is it. Start walking. Start moving. Start believing.
Because what if 'someday' became today?
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