“No words can properly describe the anguish I experience nearly daily for what I had done. I killed people. I don’t have money to offer to my victims as repentance, but through running and with the help of God I was able to change my life around. I think running South Africa’s ultimate race will be the best and most honest tribute I can pay to the victims,” said Coetzee, who was released in July last year after spending nearly 19 years in jail.

He will run Comrades with the number 67 around his arm as a part of his tribute and on his running shoes there will be Bible texts from Philippians  4:13 and from Jesiah 40:31.

The Daily Maverick described what happened on Christmas Eve 1996 as follows: “A specialist hit squad of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) shattered the post-1994 peaceful transition to a democracy with some powerful bombs. The bombs ripped through the Shoprite shopping centre in Worcester in the Western Cape, which was packed with last-minute shoppers.”

Mercifully, two of the bombs did not go off. But as the dust and debris settled on the bloody scene, bodies were strewn all over, with four people dead and 67 injured. Three children and one adult died in the blasts and another two victims died later from their injuries.

Being locked for up to 23 hours at times took its toll on Coetzee. Nick Bester, the current team manager of the @Nedbank Dream Team, was the one who changed everything for Coetzee through his Running Rehabilitation program in the prisons.

“Where most boys dream about maybe one day playing for the Springboks or meeting players like Naas Botha or Victor Matfield, it was my dream to run the Comrades. My heroes were and still are Bruce Fordyce and Nick Bester. At the age of 17 my dream to run the Comrades came to an abrupt end the day we planted the bombs. I am very lucky to get the opportunity to do so now.

“I had the idea of running the Two Oceans on a treadmill in prison and I contacted Nick. To my surprise he immediately agreed to help me without asking any questions. It was absolutely amazing to be supported by my icon. Suddenly I had something to live for,” said Coetzee (Nedbank Running Club).

“It was Nick who taught me that through running I would become capable of doing anything I set my mind to. He also made it possible for me to run the City to City 50km on a treadmill in prison.

“Because the race was so close to Nelson Mandela’s birthday and the 67 minutes for Mandela Project, it was decided that I should run an extra 17 kilometres in a relay in recognition of Mandela’s ‘values and his dedication to the service of humanity’ and in acknowledgment of his contribution to ‘the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world".

Early this year Coetzee ran Om die Dam.  It was the first time he officially ran an ultra-race.

“The one thing I have learned from actually running races is that the treadmill does not prepare you for steep climbs. Running up Saartjies Nek during Om die Dam was a quite daunting challenge.”

Coetzee’s only goal for Comrades is to finish.

“I will be happy if I finish Comrades in 11 hours and 59 minutes.”

Coetzee went on to quote the Comrades slogan: “In the Comrades it is not about winning, nor competing, it is all about completing the ultimate race.”

“I can honestly say that Comrades is more than a race to me.  I believe that I am given a second chance by God. Who would have believed 20 years ago that I would be running the Comrades.

“The race is a true reflection of what life is really about. During Comrades we will be challenged by steep climbs and at times we may wonder how we will be able to keep going. Then somebody, maybe a spectator along the road or a fellow runner, will cheer you on and tell you that you will finish and that will be all you need.
“The same happens in life. All of us experience setbacks and steep challenges in life, but through the support of friends and family and the love of God we are able to continue and to finish what we started out to do,” said Coetzee, who works as a Project Co-ordinator/Fund Raiser for Feed a Child.