Bonitas joins race against cystic fibrosis at Comrades Marathon

Paul Dolman wasn't a born runner or even particularly athletic as a child and it was only later in his life when he took to running, much later than most Comrades enthusiasts. What makes his story so intriguing is the fact that at 36 years of age, he has cystic fibrosis, a disease that was expected to kill him over 28 years ago.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease that affects the lungs, digestive system, sweat glands and the body's ability to move salts and water in and out of cells. This defect causes the lungs and pancreas to produce thick fluids, which blocks various passageways in the body, preventing them from functioning normally.

Regardless of his health challenges, Paul trained and ran his first Comrades in 2005, stopping just 10km's shy of the full 89.2kms and realising shortly thereafter, while speaking to close friend Bruce Fordyce, that he hadn't completed the race because he'd entered it with the wrong attitude.

“Bruce basically said that I'd been too confident,” he recalls candidly. “Quite rightly he says that if you're not absolutely petrified of the Comrades, the Comrades will beat you and so I made it my goal to give the race the respect it deserves the next time I entered.

“I said to myself and anybody who'd listen that CF hadn't beaten me so the Comrades certainly wouldn't!”

So, in 2006, with a building and focused level of fear and respect, he did what no other cystic had ever done before - he ran and completed his first Comrades Marathon in 11 hours 53 minutes.

That year, Dolman received the “Spirit of the Comrades” award, which inspired him to participate in several road shows across the country throughout 2007, where he spoke of his life, his disease and his battle to stay positive and healthy through it all.

Following that, he has completed the London Marathon and Comrades again in 2007, and completed the Two Oceans in 2008.

“I hit an emotional slump in 2008 when I realised I probably wasn't going to be able to run the Comrades that year. My lung function had dropped to 35 percent - a giant blow to me on a very personal level,” he says.

After a four month stay in hospital managing a major flare up of the infection and undergoing numerous sinus operations, Dolman was spiritually, emotionally and physically drained, but his once therapist, now life long friend, helped him get up, dust himself off and look for that silver lining.

It was during his 2008 stint in hospital that he decided that he would run the Comrades in 2009. He secured sponsorship from Bonitas Medical Fund who will be sponsoring his Comrades journey and he has been training fervently for it ever since.

“It is this fact that makes Paul's story that much more captivating in that he runs a marathon that most able bodied South African's could not manage and he runs it using up to 60% less lung capacity,” says Gerhard Van Emmenis, chief operating officer at Bonitas.

“However, we ultimately decided to partner with Paul due, in point, to our long-standing mandate to promote healthy and active lifestyles amongst our members. Bonitas supports sports that promote easy access to physical health for the masses like hiking, running, cycling and similar.

“In this instance, the medical scheme is doing more than just sponsor an individual runner in that they are promoting the appeal and ease with which any one person can participate in outdoor activities of this kind.”

“Running with cystic fibrosis is no different to running without it. You train just as hard before the race and, when the time comes, you breathe in and breathe out, just like thousands of fellow runners. The only difference is I'm running using 50% of my lung capacity, so I'm running twice as hard and breathing twice as deeply as my fellow racers, no biggie,” he quips.

The proceeds of the sponsorship will ultimately go towards aiding Dolman in his personal ambition in building the South African Cystic Fibrosis Trust (SACFT). Started by Dolman and a handful of like-minded friends and colleagues, the trust raises funds that aid in educating CF patients, getting them placed onto transplant lists and identifying families who need assistance, especially where adult CF sufferers are concerned.

Members of the public and organisations interested in making a donation towards the SACFT are invited to contact Paul Dolman on or Lebo Madiba on .