Fighting spirit wins the day despite physical challenges

The fighting spirit: Samantha Stander, centre, after succeeding at the Grind challenge.

Stellenbosch University Medical Student, 22-year old Samantha Stander has inspired us with her tenacity not to allow her physical challenges to prevent her from achieving all her goals.

Tru-Cape first met Samantha when she listed her success in our Tru-Cape Grabouw Challenge as one of her Top Five achievements. This past weekend, April 17 as Tru-Cape noted the birthday of the South African apple industry, now in its 353 year, Samantha achieved again, this time in gruelling Obstacle Course in Durbanville.

“The Grind Obstacle Course challenged every aspect of my being, but being supported by an amazing team of elite athletes such as my coach Dominique D’Oliviera, Hanneke Dannhauser, Carina Marx, Carika van Blerk and the rest of the Jeep OCR team as well as my best friends Jano Venter and Chrisna van den Heever and my sister Ashleigh, made it worth it. Having them by my side and guiding me on the course was extremely special. Without them and without God I would not have been able to finish the race. Today I am bruised all over, but every bruise is an indicator of conquering the impossible. The only disability in life is a bad attitude,” she says.

Looking at Samantha’s Facebook page with all the photos of her doing physical and fitness challenges, it is hard to imagine that she is batting congenital developmental dysplasia of both her hips, a condition she was born with. Not only does Samantha prove that perseverance and commitment will lead to success, no matter the associated hardships, but she is also a shining example of someone who is not prepared to simply play the hand she was dealt but keeps fighting to achieve more and more. Tru-Cape’s Marketing Director Conrad Fick says that Samantha’s story is an inspiration for anyone who wants to achieve something, against the odds.

“We are thrilled that Samantha considers our Tru-Cape Challenge an essential part of her calendar and would like to invite her to enter our Tru-Cape Applewood Trail run in Grabouw on May 7 this year as our guest and continued source of inspiration.

“We are blown away with Samantha and we were behind her 150% as she tackled The Grind 01,” said The Grind Founder Mat Barlett. “Every day we hear stories about extraordinary people doing extraordinary things and Samantha is one of those people, she epitomises exactly what The Grind is: hard work and perseverance. She is a true inspiration to everyone and that is why she is our first Brand Ambassador.”