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<\/p>\nCaptain Paula Terblanche has just two rules in life. Never give up. And, always remember the first rule. This Swiss Army Knife police officer can almost do it all and with an absolute passion for life.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s been part of the Child Protection Unit for more than three decades. Fighting for justice and investigating incidents of family violence and sexual assault. And to this day, she remembers each and every case.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love children and I love people. And, I enjoy my job so much purely because I get to help vulnerable women and children escape from often horrific circumstances, and create an opportunity for them to lead better lives. Where possible, I like to stay involved and follow up to monitor their progress, which also allows me to deal with the emotions involved,\u201d says Captain Paula Terblanche.<\/p>\n
But, as fulfilling as it might be, Paula knew after two decades that she would need some healthy coping methods to deal with the high stress levels that come with the job. When her dad was diagnosed with cancer, it was the final push she needed to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
\nWhat started with cycling quickly evolved into swimming and running. And before she knew it, Paula completed her first Midmar Mile \u2013 the country\u2019s largest open-water swimming event. Today she trains seven times a week, for almost four hours a day. An athlete who drives herself to cycle around 200km, and run 60km every week.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing active gives me that feeling of freedom and happiness. While training, you forget about the work, the water and electricity account, the load shedding and all the worries. But I must add that cycling is my ultimate favourite.
\n\u201cWhen I\u2019m cycling, I forget about my past and don\u2019t think about the future. I\u2019m just present and use my senses to fully experience and embrace every moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paula is a firm believer that you should only compete with one person; yourself. And so, she just loves participating in some of the most extreme fitness challenges the country has to offer. While running the 56km Virtual Two Oceans Marathon in her yard, which is 80m long, tops her list, she shares the most challenging race of them all \u2013 the Midmar Mile in memory of her beloved Dachshund, Nala..
\nWhen Nala passed on, Paula was devastated and absolutely heartbroken. She became sick and couldn\u2019t get back on track with training for the Midmar Mile which was just around the corner. When the doctor diagnosed her with Broken Heart Syndrome, she decided to push through and dedicate the challenge to her dear dog.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really focused on the day of the challenge. But, just as the starting shot was fired, I saw two Dachshund puppies next to the dam with their owner. I got a panic attack and just couldn\u2019t get my head in the water. Eventually, I started to swim but couldn\u2019t breathe or focus. The lifesavers wanted to take me out of the water, but I refused.
\n\u201cI\u2019m a person who never quits, ever. Even though I really struggled to complete the mile, I did eventually. I finished last. Last in my event. Last in my age category. Last in the day\u2019s event. And last for the whole weekend\u2019s events. But I finished and I got my medal. Because giving up simply was not an option.\u201d<\/p>\n
An adventurer at heart, Paula will always be up for a road trip. Especially if it means there\u2019s some kind of sport awaiting her on the other side.
\n\u201cI absolutely love travelling the country for sport. Holidays are so expensive and so are sports events. So, I like to combine the two, and really make the trip worthwhile. My parents were my biggest supporters. Unfortunately, my mom passed away two years ago. But I\u2019m blessed to have my dad still join me on the trips and support me with my challenges. We always make it a proper trip, vacation and celebration of my achievements.\u201d<\/p>\n
And so, Paula\u2019s metaphorical cup is always filled to the brim, from which she passionately serves others. At any given time, she has at least two or three community projects in the pipeline and often goes beyond her call of duty with talks and presentations on crimes against women and children. She admits her fave project must be the ongoing self-defence program for women in the West Rand. It comes as no surprise that she\u2019s won numerous awards for her extensive efforts both as a dedicated police officer and sportswoman.
\n\u201cThe award that is very near to my heart is the Vita Basadi Award in the category \u2018Guardian Angel of the Year\u2019. I received it at the MEC Annual Awards which was presented by Gauteng Provincial Legislature a few years ago. The MEC handed the award to me personally, and the glamorous evening will forever be in my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though she\u2019s always running around, this busybody will always, always, always choose high heels above sneakers. Because \u2013 as her mom always said \u2013 keep your heels high, and your standards higher. In fact, she believes that you should always look your best. Whether you\u2019re at work, at home, or just chilling over the weekend. Oh, and don\u2019t forget to round each outfit off with a genuine smile. Because when you laugh, the world laughs with you!
\nWhen she\u2019s not interrogating perpetrators, serving her community or participating in a triathlon, Paula will most likely be found gardening or painting, especially on a Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
And, she also enjoys staying in touch with her creative side by decorating special events \u2013 child parties being her forte. And sometimes, she\u2019ll even be the one hiding in the clown suit.
\nWhat\u2019s next for Paula?; \u201cMy dream is to have my own rebounding studio where I can present rebounding classes to children who suffer from ADHD, autism, trauma, lack of concentration, balance, strength and many more. And, I\u2019m super excited to announce that I\u2019m in the process of completing my Lisa Raleigh Bounti Instructors course.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also admits that she\u2019s especially excited to be a first-time gran soon, and vows to be the coolest grandparent ever.
\nShe often gets asked how she does it. Well, for Paula it\u2019s simple. Stay focused and have a positive attitude. If a challenge knocks on your door, change it into an opportunity and tackle it with a positive mind. And remember to always enjoy the little things in life.<\/p>\n
Paula\u2019s top tips to start exercising<\/strong><\/p>\n 5 Easy go-to home workouts<\/strong><\/p>\n Exercise is not always strength, muscle building or burning fat. It can also be stretching. Yoga is also one of my favourite exercises, because, at the end of the day, you want your body flexible. When we grow old, we need a flexible body to move easily at the old age home.<\/p>\n Text: ALANICKA LOTRIET. \u2022 Photographer: Hilda Mans Photography<\/a>. \u2022 Hair & makeup: EA Academy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Captain Paula Terblanche has just two rules in life. Never give up. And, always remember the first rule. This Swiss Army Knife police officer can almost do it all and with an absolute passion for life. She\u2019s been part of the Child Protection Unit for more than three decades. Fighting for justice and investigating incidents […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":17936,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,20],"tags":[6633,6629,4093,1201,6340,455,6411,5597,6631,6503,6630,159,6634,4990,6632,1402],"class_list":{"0":"post-17933","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-people","8":"category-personalities","9":"tag-athlete","10":"tag-captain-paula-terblanche","11":"tag-challenge","12":"tag-children","13":"tag-cycle","14":"tag-get-it","15":"tag-inspiration","16":"tag-joburg-west","17":"tag-never-give-up","18":"tag-passion","19":"tag-police-officer","20":"tag-run","21":"tag-sportswoman","22":"tag-swim","23":"tag-vulnerable","24":"tag-women"},"yoast_head":"\n\n
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