From running shoes to glamour queen, a marketing guru driven by adventure and creativity

Have you ever met someone and wondered how they are so positive all the time. Today, I chat to such an individual, full of life and laughter while forever chasing the thrill of adventure. A friend and colleague of mine, Cheri Fourie.

Fit, fabulous and fashionable are the verbs that come to mind when you think of Cheri. An avid trail runner who loves the dusty sandy outdoors, who has a bold and elegant sense of fashion when spotted indoors. Behind the desk, she is driven by creativity and loves exploring on the Adobe Creative Suite. Let’s hear what keeps such an individual going, a quick dive into the life of IRONMAN South Africa’s Marketing Coordinator:

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Let’s look back quick before we look forward. How did you utilize your time during the 2020 December holidays to refresh your mind & body before heading into the new year?

As we have all experienced, 2020 was a particularly rough year. On top of that, 2020 was a year that I faced many personal challenges and was doing a great job at putting up a “I’m Okay” front. In doing that, I lost sight of what was important, and what actually made me happy and feel “okay”. Over the holiday period, I took the time to self-reflect for the upcoming year, and I spent time with my friends and family. We travelled, we laughed, we braai’d, we went to the beach (Thanks Cyril for ummm….) and made memories that filled my heart with real happiness that refreshed my soul beyond measure. I have counted my blessings over and over.

And heading into this new year, what are you most looking forward to?

Well, if you asked me this at the beginning of 2020 – it would have been much easier to answer. My goals were so much higher, and I was mentally prepared. This isn’t as much the case this year while uncertainty and an element of fear looms amongst us all. So for 2021, I decided to dial it back a bit. I am most looking forward to the prospect of getting back to some form of normality. I want to hug my friends, take a crazy group picture, walk around with a smile on my face for everyone to see (instead of it being covered by a mask). For now, my eyes are doing to smiling 😊 My motto for 2021 is to ‘Enjoy the small things in life, it’s the little ones that count’.

True! You’ve also become quite the running enthusiast. Take us through that, how did your love for running come about? And how has the transition from a competitive swimmer to a running enthusiast been?

Funny you ask, generally speaking, swimmers DON’T run. We generally have an utter disliking to it, and some of us run like hippos stuck in a puddle of peanut butter (well, maybe it’s just me). When I started running, I really didn’t enjoy it much. I only did it because my goal was to lose some weight in addition to some lightweight gym work. That was my goal at the time. As I ran a little more, I made some friends along the way, and then it became a social outing for me. One thing led to the next, and suddenly I was training for my first ever marathon. Never in my life did I ever think that I would have fun running a 35km training run on a Saturday morning, it always seemed impossible and so far-fetched. Trust me, it was worth it in the end. I started swimming from a young age (9 years old), and competed until the age of around 21/22 years old, and with that came a lot of sacrifices and extreme dedication from myself and my family that supported me (Thanks mom for getting me to the pool at 5am every morning). When I decided to pack away my competitive swimming gear, I realized that I could sleep an extra 90 minutes longer in the morning and had evenings free to do anything I wanted. However, I got bored of that pretty quickly and ate way to much, which led to gym and running.

What are some of your favourite trail routes along the coast of Nelson Mandela Bay?

I love the trails in the Baakens Valley, I think it’s also because that’s where my love of trail running started. For an easier route, the trail at PE Golf Club is quite conducive to most people. Crossways is beautiful!! Going off track a bit, my challenge for 2021 is to take part in my first ever trail run 3 day stage race – entry registration pending, haha.

Those that work with you know you have a passion to “dress to impress”. What’s your morning routine like before work, and how do you chose your dashing outfits in the morning?

This might sound funny, but I think in pictures. Sometimes I’m lucky and a image will randomly appear in my mind for my outfit for the next day, or I think about it in the mornings while getting out of bed. To put it simply, my brain works like some of the apps that you can upload your entire wardrobe and scan through pictures of each item until you find something that works. This is pretty much the process, but just in my mind.

For those like me, who could use a bit of a wardrobe reset in 2021, where would you advise I start (what are some your favorite clothing stores)?

Anywhere with sales! To let you in on a little secret, very seldomly do I buy clothes at full price. I am the biggest bargain shopper, and somehow I manage to strike luck. I must admit, I have adapted to online shopping and find it quite relaxing. No queues of people, I can add items to my cart and continue browsing, and best of all, some have daily sales.

Shifting the conversation to your career. You’ve got quite an impressive resume, briefly take us through your experience in the marketing sphere.

I can honestly say that I feel so blessed and privileged for the opportunities I have received so far. No doubt, I have worked hard to improve myself in my career, but this just shows that hard work does pay off! I have been fortunate enough to gain experience in quite a few industries within the Marketing field. I started my career in retail, working in the Centre Management team of a local shopping centre. I then moved into the corporate world at Coca-Cola Sabco (now known as Coca-Cola Beverages Africa). I was part of the Public Affairs and Communication team based in the head office. Here I received global exposure, focusing on many African countries. Going into a completely different direction, I moved into the events industry – from planning to breakdown of any function ranging from 20 guests to 2000+ guests. This led me to where I am now, the Marketing Coordinator at IRONMAN South Africa. Currently, my job focuses on our large athlete database and the current races we host. While the main focus is to bring awareness to the IRONMAN brand as well as expanding the brand, we also place large amounts of effort in athlete satisfaction and athlete communication.

Any advice to the young marketing students/interns kicking off their careers this year?

Take any opportunity you get and run with it! One opportunity leads to the next, and the next, and so it goes on. Never lose sight of your goals, and don’t be scared to take chances.

Lastly, what keeps you going? You’re forever smiling & full of life (especially in the mornings). Is it perhaps your pug, oops I mean “Boston” that keeps you going?

[Laughs] I actually get asked this question more often than you think and I still can’t give a direct answer. On the one hand, it’s just in my nature to be bubbly and happy. I do believe that a smile is the cheapest form of kindness 😊 I have certainly faced some hardship and bumps along the way, but instead of allowing the stumbles to define me as a person, I used them as experiences to learn from. However, on the other hand, my Boston Terrier (Arnold) gives me so much love and joy that it’s only the right to pay-it-forward and bring love and joy to other people.

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Well thanks Cheri for inspiring me and I’m sure others, to keep smiling even if it hurts. Here’s to wishing you a memorable 2021 full of trail adventures and clothing sales. Look forward to seeing your many successes in your career in the future!