Northlands Primary school girl goes viral for her kindness
Maddyson Shephard, 12, from Northlands Primary School, went viral on social media for encouraging the Comrades Marathon runners. Her actions have shone brightly...
Ten days later, the effects of community and togetherness from the Comrades Marathon still reign high. Young Maddyson Shephard, a 12-year-old girl from Northlands Primary School in Durban North, has left a positive impression on people all over KZN.
A video of Maddyson was shared on social media, displaying this young girl's nurturing nature. At the 9km to go mark of the Comrades Marathon
https://www.ecr.co.za/shows/stacey-jsbu/gerda-steyn-comrades-2025-how-much-did-she-earn/
, Maddyson ran back and forth at the 45th cutting on Jan Smuts Highway.She encouraged the runners to keep going, and her actions spoke volumes to the runners and the community. The Wimpy SA group recognised her efforts and surprised her and her fellow schoolmates with Wimpy vouchers.
Fred McKenzie, from Wimpy SA, ran his 20th Comrades Marathon this year, and he was one of the runners who was cheered on by Maddyson. He was motivated to reach out to her after seeing the videos of her supporting efforts on social media.
He told TimesLive, "I realised her efforts were lovely and amazing and made arrangements to meet her after getting information from one of the Facebook users."
After meeting her in person at her school, he said, "She is exactly the kind of person you see on the video. Free spirited, kind and slightly shy."
We had been on the road since the morning, and we had seen the first male and female runners. I told some of the runners, 'come on, I know how hard you have worked to get to this point.' Some were tired, but others were determined to go on.
To say Maddyson's actions were inspiring is an understatement. She showed the runners a sense of upliftment at a pivotal moment in the race, and her actions serve as true motivation.
Watch the video below, courtesy of Instagram (scroll right arrow to watch).
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
- Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836.
- Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606
- Listen to us on Amazon Alexa.
Follow us on social media:
Image Courtesy of Instagram