Name: Taniko Gough
Age: 34
Home Town: Kensington, Johannesburg
Height: 1.75m
Occupation: Salesperson at a cycling wholesaler
Time Required: 10 Months
Then: 123kg
Now: 77kg

THE WAKE-UP

In 2013, I broke my back in a cycling accident. A motorist took a chance at a robot on Klip River Drive, and I ended up T-boning her car. She probably saw, and heard, my body roll along the side of her car; and yet she chose to carry on driving.

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The impact had crushed my L2 and L3 vertebrae, so I spent the next three days in ICU, followed by one month at home and four months wearing a back brace. I wasn’t able to walk around the supermarket, let alone exercise. Over the next two and a half years, I piled on weight.

When I could no longer stand the pain in my lower back, I sought the help of a chiropractor, Doc Marty, who helped get me to the point where I could start exercising again.

THE SHAKE-UP

I started walking on the treadmill each day for 10 minutes; and every second day I increased it by five minutes, until I was able to walk comfortably for 45 minutes. Then I decided to try running, under the guidance of my work colleague Ian, who is an avid runner and cyclist.

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My biggest challenge was that I have Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel disease), which limits the amount of healthy eating you can do, purely because you’re unable to digest raw fruit and veggies, red meat, nuts and oats. It’s also an autoimmune disease, which means my body attacks itself. I lost my gallbladder in October 2016, and I had to have open-stomach surgery.

Those first walks on the treadmill happened just two weeks after my surgery, when I still had 30 staples in my stomach.

THE REWARD

I ran my first 5-K in January 2017, and around 20 more races that year. For someone who never thought she would ride a bike again, let alone start running, every race I do is a massive achievement. Other women have told me I inspire them, because I motivate them to overcome just about any obstacle that stands in their way.

Inspired by Taniko’s story? Join the club and start your weight-loss journey with the Run It Off Plan below. What are you waiting for?

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