Evelina Tshabalala began the race of a lifetime the day she moved to Cape Town in search of work. With a young child to take care of, 4am was the only time she had to go running. Before long, her pursuit revealed her athletic prowess. Barefoot, Tshabalala ran her first professional 10-kilometre race – and won. That afternoon, she entered a five-kilometre race. She won that too. With the prize money she could finally afford a pair of running shoes. Shortly after, Tshabalala began competing in long-distance races. She completed the London Marathon, placing 25th. With her insurmountable energy, Tshabalala then turned to the gruelling challenge of mountain climbing, and summited three of the world’s highest peaks. The fact that she’s HIV-positive has never held her back.

Read Evelina Tshabalala's full story here.