Heidi Van Rooyen - An Inspirational Story

Heidi Van Rooyen - an inspirational story

32 year old Heidi Van Rooyen is competing in her first full marathon this year. Since beginning on a journey of looking after herself, eating right and keeping fit, Heidi has conquered her battle with food losing an astonishing 35kg, and feels better than ever before.

Anorexic and bulimic during her teenage years, Heidi fought a constant emotional battle with food. During her twenties her weight swung to the opposite end of the scale as she became overweight and eventually obese. On top of this Heidi suffered from chronic asthma and was so physically unfit that she could hardly walk up Auckland's Queen Street without collapsing.

The deterioration of her mother's health finally made her realise she had to make a change before it became too late. A friend suggested walking the Auckland half marathon and she went along with the idea. Fearful of not completing the event in time before the Harbour Bridge closed, they jogged and walked - crossing the finish line without having put in much training at all. Heidi began to realise that running a half marathon was a distinct possibility.

Four years on and Heidi has run three half marathons, completed mini and standard scale triathlons and is working towards a goal of competing in a half ironman in the next two years. She says, "I have always had problems with my weight, but now I feel like I have finally found the right way to eat and live my life. I just want to show that if someone like me can do this, anyone can if they want to!"

Heidi trains for around three hours a day, six days a week, combining running with swimming and cardio and weight training group classes. She finds her regular early morning training regime influences what she eats the night before, as fatty foods and alcohol make her workouts and runs just that much harder. She says competing in events regularly keeps her motivated and remind her to continually set new goals and challenge her mental and physical abilities. Visualising the end result also keeps her in check, along with the encouragement of her husband, who is an inspirational athlete himself having represented New Zealand in master athletics.

After the death of her uncle from heart disease and the diagnosis of her mother with a heart problem, Heidi decided to combine her fitness with becoming a Heart Racer for the National Heart Foundation. Heart Racers raise money via an online webpage to support the Foundation by competing in an official event. Supporters who sponsor Heart Racers are helping the charity to continue its vital work in research, cardiac rehabilitation, education programmes and resources.

Heidi says, "Becoming a Heart Racer gives me the incentive I need to keep training hard - it keeps me going, knowing there are people out there relying on me to keep running!"

Each day 16 New Zealanders die as a result of coronary heart disease - that's one person every 90 minutes. New research shows that more young adults in their 20s and 30s are being admitted to hospital for heart attacks than ever before, and that this age group is dying at a faster rate than people of the same age in previous generations. Much of this change is due to unhealthy lifestyles - poor eating habits, lack of physical activity and being a smoker. But the good news is that many risk factors for heart disease are preventable, if people make healthy lifestyle choices. More than 150 runners and walkers participated as Heart Racers in last year's adidas Auckland Marathon, and the Heart Foundation is hopeful of exceeding that number this year.

Heidi uses the adage, "If you only ever go out when it's sunny, you never ever get to where you want to go." So, get out training in the wet weather this winter and help Heidi as she joins the race to beat heart disease by becoming a fellow Heart Racer.

It only takes 3 minutes to set up your page online, and you can even earn back your registration fee if you fund raise $400 or more for the Heart Foundation! PLUS every Heart Racer will receive a free pedometer radio and the top five fundraisers will get a free Apple Ipod shuffle. Other prizes including gym memberships are up for grabs too. To become a Heart Racer or to sponsor a Heart Racer in the upcoming adidas Auckland Marathon on 28 October 2007, simply visit www.heartracer.org.nz or www.aucklandmarathon.co.nz/race/charity.asp

ENDS

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