U-Emma Bates ungenele ugqatso lweBoston Marathon ngesicwangciso esiye sawela kwisiqingatha sogqatso ngoMvulo.

UBetts uchithe ngaphezulu konyaka eziqeqesha nomqeqeshi uJoe Bosshard kunye neQela leBoss eBoulder, eColorado kulo nyaka uphelileyo emva kokuba i-COVID iphazamise inkqubo yakhe.Yayilinge lakhe lokuqala eBoston kwaye lamnika ukuzithemba.Isihlanu siziva ngathi yinqaba.Kodwa andizange ndiyilindele into yokuba ndikhokele emva kweekhilomitha ezingama-25.
“Elo yayingelocebo konke konke,” watsho.“Umqeqeshi wam undixelele ukuba ndingayenzi.Wayefuna ngokwenene ukuba ndigxile kweli qela ndize ndivumele amantombazana abalaseleyo ajijisane aze agqabhuke.”
UBosshard, obebukele umdyarho weHeartbreak Hill kule minyaka mibini idlulileyo, akothukanga kukubona uBates ehamba phambili.
“Ndajonga umqeqeshi wam ndathi, ‘Andazi ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni, kodwa ndicinga ukuba siya kuyamkela,’ utshilo."Ixesha elide yayiyi-surreal ngokwenene."
“Usandul’ ukuqala apho,” watsho.– Ndithetha ukuthi, okwangoku, masigoduke.
Ukubheja kukhokelele kumanqaku angama-35k phambi kokuleqwa liqela elikhokelwa ngophumeleleyo uHellen Obiri.Kodwa iBetts igqibe isihlanu ngexesha le-2:22:10, elona xesha lilungileyo kumzila kunye nebala lase-US.
“Bendithe ndisaphakamisa isantya ndagqibela ndikhokele, nto leyo eyandothusayo kuba bendicinga ukuba ndiza kuyibamba,” utshilo.“Bendifuna ukuba phakathi kwabahlanu abaphambili ngokwam, ngoko ayothusi into yokuba ndikwazile ukufikelela kwinqanaba ebendikulo ndabaleka kakhulu njengangaphambili.
Nangona kwathatha ixesha elithile ukuba iiBetts zifudumale kwimozulu ebandayo kunye nemvula, iBetts yafikelela kumgca wokugqibela kwaye yabaleka i-5K yokuqala kwimizuzu eyi-17 kunye nemizuzwana ye-48, igcina indawo yakhe kwisihlanu esiphezulu.
“Bendisoloko ndinengxaki kumanenekazi abalaseleyo kuba isantya sitshintsha ngokukhawuleza,” utshilo uBates.“Ngoko ikhangeleka ngathi yifartlek.Kodwa ndiyakholwa nje ukuba ndingahamba nabo ngesantya esinye kwaye ndingangena kwabahlanu abaphezulu.
“Ngoko ndiye ndahlala kwaye ndinethemba lokuba ndingaphumelela.Kodwa yayiziikhilomitha ezi-2 zokugqibela apho baye banciphisa ixesha laya kutsho ku-5:00 kwaye andizange ndikwazi ukuhlala nelo qela.”
Ewe kunjalo, umva wesiqingatha seBoston yeyona ndawo iBetts iqheleke kakhulu.Emva kokujoyina iQela eliSebenzayo eliPhezulu le-BAA ngo-2015, wafudukela eBoston.UBates uthi kuzo zonke iindawo aziqeqeshelweyo, ukusuka eBoise ukuya eBoulder, iBoston vibe ibalasele.
“Kukho imbali eninzi apha, ukuthanda iBattle Road nokuqhuba uCharles kunye neNewton Hills yinto ekhethekileyo,” utshilo."Ke ukukwazi ukubuyela apha kwaye ndibaleke ekhaya kwaye ndibaleke ngasemva kwingoma ebendikade ndibaleka kuyo bekupholile kakhulu."
Ukwaxhamla kwi-Boulder Workout eyenziwa yi-Team Boss ukulinganisa iinduli zaseBoston.
“EBoulder, ukuba uya empuma uye entshona, uhlala unyuka iinduli,” watsho uBosshard.“Ke sakwazi ukwenza iikhosi ezimbalwa zeemayile ezingama-24 apho siye sanyuka inyawo ezingama-900 kwaye ndicinga ukuba ngenene sasineentloni ukuhla.Ndicinga ukuba besiku-1300 feet kwaye eBoston – 1400 ft. Kulapho senze khona lonke uqeqesho lwethu.”
Phakathi kwamadoda, Iqela leBetts Team Boss uScott Fauble uphumelele kwindawo yesixhenxe kwimidyarho emine yokugqibela eBoston (2:09:44) kwaye wayeyindoda ephezulu kwiklasi yamadoda yase-US.Ehlabathini elifanelekileyo, uFauble uthe, angathanda ukuba phambili, kodwa umonde lelona qhinga.
“Andifuni ukubonakala ndinomonde,” watsho.“Kodwa andikwazi ukuphuma [ngokukhawuleza njengenkokeli] kugqatso lomgama omde.Ngoko ke kufuneka ndizenzele izigqibo ezifanelekileyo ngemini yogqatso.
“Namhlanje bekukwibhetshi yesibini, bendizama ngenene ukulandela isiqingatha sokugqibela.Ndandicinga ukuba ndingalalisa abantu kwaye ithathe ixesha elide kunesiqhelo.Andizange ndiqalise ukubamba abantu de kwaba yimayile yokugqibela.”
“Ukuba yeyona mbaleki ibalaseleyo hayi eMelika kuphela, kodwa nokuba yeyona mbaleki ibalaseleyo kwiBoston Marathon yinto eza kuhlala entliziyweni yam ixesha elide,” utshilo.