Meet Pascal Simba - Roodepoort’s favourite parkrun cheerleader

Every Saturday at 8am thousands of South Africans take out their running shoes and head towards their local parkrun venue. When you've got a cheerleader making sure you do your very best, it can make all the difference to your run. Just ask the folks at Roodepoort parkrun.

Thanks to a viral video of Pascal Simba clapping and cheering strangers at the Roodepoort parkrun, he has found sudden fame.

Simba, a part-time Unisa lecturer and PhD student in chemical engineering, never imagined he would celebrate his 46th birthday by being a social media star.

“I think encouragement is the least I can offer. You are only successful if you can impact someone’s life and change it for the better. Don’t ever complain; take in the process as a learning phase. It’s the same when you run; it’s hard but focus on the end result. Enjoy it and push yourself,” Simba said.