Zola Budd - Marriage and Beyond

Marriage and Beyond

In 1989 Budd married Mike Pieterse. She began racing again in South Africa. She had an excellent season in 1991 and was the second fastest woman in the world over 3,000m. Following South Africa's re-admission to international sport she competed in the 3000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona but did not qualify for the final. In 1993 she finished fourth at the World Cross Country championships but would never translate this form on to the track.

Budd remains the holder of numerous British and South African records at junior and senior levels and still holds two junior world records; the mile and the 3000 metres.

Budd and her family have been living in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA, since August 2008. She has a two-year visa that allows her to compete on the US masters' circuit, is a volunteer coach at Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers track team and has raced in the South Carolina division of USA Track and Field, winning the women's division of the Dasani Half-Marathon during Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon on 14 February 2009 with a time of 1:20:41.

Budd's children also compete: at the 2 May 2009 Orangeburg, South Carolina Festival of Roses road race, after winning the women's 12 km. event, she watched her daughter Lisa (17) won the girls 5 km. 12–19 age group at 30:17, followed by her niece Claudia (21) at 31:36.

On January 12, 2012, she announced her participation in the 2012 edition of the Comrades Marathon to be held on June 3, 2012. She would also participate in the Two Oceans Marathon during the Easter weekend of 2012 as she trains towards the Comrades Marathon.

Zola also has twins. A boy and a girl. Born on April 20, 1998. Their names are Michael Daniel Pieterse and Azelle Pieterse. Lisa already holds a few school and county records for distances between 1 mile and the 5 K in cross country in 2012.

Report in South Africa Mail & Guardian Online

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