Hijackers just jacked Jacob up

A brush with death - he was wounded in a hijacking - has motivated Pretoria marathon runner Jacob Dhlamini to aim for a top finish at this weekend's Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town.

In November, the 32-year-old Orchards resident was accosted by six hijackers on his way home from visiting his mother in Madinyane, North West.

The encounter left him with two gunshot wounds. One bullet penetrated his right arm, severing a nerve. The other hit him on the side of the stomach.

"After the incident, I discharged myself from hospital because I was angry. But when I returned to work, my bosses took me back to hospital, where I stayed for a week," he said.

Dhlamini spent the whole of December recuperating at home before returning to work in January. During this period doctors told him he would never be able to run again. But what was more frightening for him was when some suggested his arm might have to be amputated.

"I thought that would be the end of my career. But I kept believing in myself," he said.

At the beginning of the year, Dhlamini eased himself back into training and, as each day passed, he felt more motivated to continue running professionally.

Now he has set his sights on running in the Two Oceans and Comrades marathons this year.

Fortunately for him, he had qualified for the Two Oceans through his participation in the Soweto Marathon last year.

He has targeted a silver medal with a time of four hours in the 56km race.

"I know I have the injury but I'm confident I can do it," he said.