A wellness coach from Durbanville has qualified at the age of 41 to take part in the gruelling Deadly Dozen World Championships in Crystal Palace, the United Kingdom, in September.

Courtney Wallander, an ex-learner from Fairmont High School, will represent South Africa in the female solo division at the championships.

The Deadly Dozen is a global hybrid fitness competition that challenges athletes through a combination of 12 400m runs and 12 strength and functional-based exercises like lunges, goblet squats, bear crawls, and overhead carry exercises, including movements that test endurance, power, grit, and mental resilience.

Athletes from around the world compete to qualify for the world championships.

Hybrid training

“I have always been sporty and grew up playing competitive sport, so being active has always been part of who I am. Over the years, that evolved into a love for hybrid training and taking on challenges like HYROX, half-marathons, open water swimming, and now the Deadly Dozen competition.

“For me, the events are not really the end goal; they are what keeps me motivated and gives me something to work towards.

“I never enter a competition to be better than anyone else; I simply want to be 1% better than I was in my last race, which is why qualifying for the Deadly Dozen World Championship was such a huge surprise to me.

“Training is about so much more than physical fitness. It is one of the best things I do for my mental and emotional well-being. It helps me manage stress and clear my head before I start my day.

“I love the lessons it teaches me about consistency, resilience, and doing hard things, even when you do not feel like it,” she says.

Courtney will be competing in her fourth HYROX competition, an indoor global fitness competition combining 8km of running with eight functional workout stations, next Saturday at CTICC.

She also has a few other competitions and races lined up until the end of the year.

Dedicated to helping people

As a learning and development practitioner and wellness coach at Ackermans, she works in behaviour change and well-being, helping people build healthier habits and become healthier versions of themselves, she says.

“Rather than physically training people, I help them to create lasting change by changing the way they think, lead themselves, and approach life — tackling both mental and emotional well-being.

“It is important to me to practise what I preach. Training is a daily reminder that growth does not happen overnight; it comes from showing up, putting in the work, and trusting the process,” she says.

Proud dad

“Courtney lives the same principles that she teaches. Whether in her work, her training, or her own personal growth journey, she is always looking for ways to improve and encouraging others to believe in what’s possible for themselves,” her proud dad, Brian Keyser, says. “Seeing her qualify for a world championship at the age of 41 is a wonderful reminder that personal growth has no age limit. Needless to say, her family is incredibly proud to see her representing South Africa on the world stage. I hope that her story may inspire others to keep pursuing their own goals, regardless of age or circumstance,” he concludes.

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