Zola Budd
Zola Budd
Zola Pieterse, née Zola Budd, is a middle-distance and long-distance runner. She competed at the 1984 Olympic Games for Great Britain and the 1992 Olympic Games for South Africa, both times in the 3000 metres. In 1984and 1985, she broke the world record in the women's 5000 metres. She was also a two-time winner at the World Cross Country Championships. Budd's career was unusual in that she mainly trained and raced barefoot. Since 2008 she has been living in South...
NationalitySouth African
ProfessionRunner
Date of Birth26 May 1966
I found them uncomfortable and after that I decided to continue running barefoot because I found it more comfortable. I felt more in touch with what was happening - I could actually feel the track.
The exceptions were when I went to school, or church or on special occasions, and it was natural when I started running that I should do it barefoot.
I can drink tea until the cows come home and I love the atmosphere in tea-shops.
She hasn't run faster than herself before
I will never regret not denouncing apartheid.
Looking back... it's hard to understand what all the fuss was about as things changed in just a few years. When you look at all the things that have happened in the world, it seems very small.
There were always a couple of loonies who caused all the trouble.
Tea-shops were to become my favourite haunts in England.
I no longer run barefoot.
Coming from a farming background, I saw nothing out of the ordinary in running barefoot, although it seemed to startle the rest of the athletics world. I have always enjoyed going barefoot and when I was growing up I seldom wore shoes, even when I went into town.
I have strong views about South African politics and I still don't feel I need to make public statements.
When you sit in America you miss the open plains and you miss the sound of rain and the smell of rain and the smell of the veld. If you're African it's different and I don't think one will ever become an American or British. It doesn't matter where you move, you will always be a South African,
I think it's one of the most natural things for any human to do is to be able to run because it's that flight or fight reaction you have. You either fight or you run away. It's just a natural way for us to move,