The Boy Before the Runner
When you speak to Kom, one thing becomes clear almost immediately is that movement for him was never just about running. It became a way to survive, to heal, to belong, and eventually, to build a life far from the one he imagined for himself as a child growing up in Cameroon.
Born in a small village called Bangangté in West Cameroon, Kom describes his childhood as simple and deeply rooted in family. Defining part of his early life was his relationship with his mother. “I am the last born,” he says. “My siblings were much older than me, so I was very close to my mother. At that stage of my life, she was everything to me.” That changed in 2000 when his mother passed away. He was only 11 years old. He pauses often when speaking about that period, not because he has forgotten, but because he remembers everything too clearly. “I remember her voice. I remember how she laughed. I remember the days leading up to when she passed. Everything is still crystal clear.”
After her passing, life changed overnight. Kom and some of his siblings moved out of their family home and relocated to another town, Bafoussam. With no parents in the house, his older brother and sister, barely adults themselves, became guardians to the younger siblings. Two years later, one of his older brothers, who had already been living in South Africa, decided to bring him to Cape Town. “I was 13 years old. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to leave my friends or my home. But everyone believed it would be better for me.” He still remembers the exact date he boarded the flight to South Africa: 17 December 2002. But settling into life in Cape Town was not easy. He speaks honestly about the difficulties he experienced. The adjustment was painful, especially for a child already carrying grief. I didn’t feel I belonged.
Eventually, he moved in with another brother, and for the first time, found some peace again. But by then, life had already forced him to grow up quickly. “When I think about it now, it almost feels like my mother knew she was going to leave early,” he says. “She made sure I could survive.” Despite everything, his family remained incredibly close. Today, his siblings are spread across the world Canada, Germany, China, South Africa and Cameroon but the bond remains strong. “One of the last things my mother said before she passed was that we should stay together like a broom,” he explains. “You know those traditional brooms made of many sticks tied together? She said that’s how we should remain. Strong together. “That lesson shaped his understanding of family, loyalty and community.
On Running Comrades and Friendship
Kom grew up playing soccer and considered himself a soccer player long before he ever called himself a runner. Running only entered his life after a routine health check during an internship at IBM in Cape Town revealed dangerously high blood pressure.
“The nurse was shocked,” he laughs. “My brother told me I needed to change my lifestyle.”
At first, he joined a gym and started hiking. Then he began running casually. His first race was a 5km at the Two Oceans Marathon weekend. “I remember finishing it in about 35 minutes while chatting the whole way. I thought, okay, this thing isn’t so bad. “What started as casual exercise slowly became something much bigger. After improving significantly in races within a short space of time, he realised something important. “Running taught me that if you put effort into something consistently, you improve. That lesson changed everything for me.”
He began applying that same mindset to other areas of his life including his studies. “I always knew I was intelligent,” he says honestly, laughing. “I was just lazy. “But once he started applying discipline the same way he did with running, his academic performance improved drastically. For the first time, he started seeing the direct relationship between effort and growth.
“That’s when running became important to me,” he says. “Not because of medals or times, but because it changed how I saw life. “After moving to Johannesburg in 2016, running eventually led him to Fat Cats Athletic Club a community he now speaks about with deep affection. Interestingly, he almost didn’t join. “I thought the membership fee was too expensive,” he laughs. “I was comparing it to other clubs. “But after attending one club run, everything changed. “The people were welcoming. Warm. Humble. It felt like home.”
For someone who had spent much of his life learning how to survive independently, finding genuine community meant more than he expected. “Soccer people play together and go home. But with runners, especially Fat Cats, it became family. “Over the years, those friendships grew far beyond training sessions and races. One of the moments that impacted him most happened recently, when several of his friends travelled from South Africa to Cameroon to attend a traditional family ceremony held in honour of his late grandmother.
In his culture, the ceremony formally honours and elevates a deceased family member into becoming an ancestor. His grandmother’s ceremony took place 12 years after her passing. What moved him most was not just that his friends travelled there, but how fully they embraced the experience. “They stayed in the village with us. They ate what we ate. They lived the way we live. They came to honour me while I’m still alive to witness it.” At several points during the trip, he found himself stepping back and simply watching his friends interact with his family and community. “There are no words for what that meant to me,” he says quietly. “People often speak beautifully about someone after they die. But these people came all the way to Cameroon for me while I’m still alive, they gave me my flowers.”
His family noticed it too. “The elders told me that if people are willing to do something like that for you, then you must be doing something right.”
When I asked why so many people seem deeply loyal to him, Kom refuses to take credit. “Everything comes from how my mother raised us,” he says. “The values she taught us stayed with me. Simplicity, respect, caring for people. For me, the things people thank me for are things that should come naturally. “Even now, years after losing her, her influence remains at the centre of who he is. And perhaps that is what makes his story so powerful. Not just the running. Not the marathons. Not the medals. But the way movement helped him reconnect with discipline, belonging, friendship, healing and purpose. Through every difficult chapter, movement became the thread that carried him forward.
Shonisani: What's next for you? You're running Comrades, right?
Kom: Yes, I am. Number five
Shonisani: Number five! Are you planning on getting that Green Number soon?
Kom: Maybe one day, but I'm not in a hurry. In fact, this year I didn't even plan on running. I was forced into it.
A few years ago, I promised Channelle Van Wyk that I would run Comrades with her in the year she turns 40. At the time, it felt so far away. Then this year she reminded me, "This is the year." So that's why I'm running Comrades this year.
Shonisani: You guys have such a beautiful friendship.
Kom: She really is a beautiful person. When I say she's a good human being, I mean it in the truest sense. I believe human beings are naturally meant to be kind and caring. Sometimes people praise acts of kindness as though they're extraordinary, but to me, that's simply what we're meant to do as people. Channelle embodies that. She's consistently kind, genuine, and caring. We've known each other since 2018, and only a few months after meeting, she was helping organize my housewarming. There were even rumours that we were dating because both our numbers appeared on the housewarming flyer. Some people thought we were moving in together! But that's just how our friendship has always been. She's someone I can do almost anything with, and it's rare to find friendships like that. She's truly a great person.
Shonisani: It's interesting how whenever a man and a woman are close, dating rumours always follow. Do you think it's because people believe men and women can't just be friends? I once read a post where someone said it's impossible for a man to be very close friends with a woman without wanting something more. They argued that if he's "just a friend," it's only because he knows a relationship isn't possible. Do you think there's any truth to that?
Kom: I used to think so, but not anymore. I don't want to say it requires maturity because that sounds like I'm implying other people aren't mature, but I do think it requires a certain level of self-awareness. With someone like Channelle, her energy is genuinely warm and authentic. She's not pretending to be someone she's not. That authenticity makes it possible to build a meaningful friendship without it needing to become something romantic. On my side, I've also learned that just because you get along with someone as a friend doesn't automatically mean you'd work as romantic partners. Sometimes you recognize that what you already have is valuable and worth protecting. Relationships can complicate things. There's no guarantee that two people who make great friends will make great partners. Sometimes it's better to preserve a meaningful friendship than risk losing it by forcing it into something else. You also must be honest with yourself. There are times when you realize, "This person is better for me as a friend than as a partner." Being able to recognize and accept that is important.
Shonisani: I also believe we have soulmates in friendship, people who were simply meant to be our friends, people whose presence makes life better.
Kom: I completely agree. But you must believe in that and be able to recognize it when it happens. I think one challenge for men is that our instinct is often to pursue. Sometimes, if you're not careful, you end up pursuing people who were never meant to be romantic interests in the first place. When you take the time to understand a person and the relationship you have with them, you can recognize that some connections are meant to remain friendships. If you're only thinking through the lens of attraction, you may miss out on some truly special relationships. So yes, for lack of a better word, I think it does require a level of maturity.
Becoming Fat Cats Chairperson
Fat Cats Athletic Club (Fat Cats AC) was established in March 2014 as an extension of the Fat Cats organisation’s sports offering, which was originally launched with the Fat Cats Football Club in 2003. The club is anchored by a strong thread of friendship and family. For over two decades, the Fats Cats family has brought together people from different backgrounds and professional disciplines over a game of sport. www.fatcats.co.za #redskippa #whoarewe
Shonisani: You've become chairperson. How did that happen? Did you ever imagine yourself in that role?
Kom: Never. Not in my wildest dreams.
I've always preferred working behind the scenes. Since joining the club, I've served in various capacities, but I've always enjoyed being the utility person the one helping where needed rather than standing in the spotlight. Last year, I was encouraging someone else to take the chairperson role. I was happy to continue serving on Exco because I felt there was still value, I could add there. I imagined myself taking on another supporting role, perhaps as Technical Lead again. But when it became clear that the current chairperson wasn't continuing, people started approaching me about the position. Channelle was one of them. Coach Vongs also called me and spent a long time explaining why he believed it was my time to lead.
After several conversations and a lot of encouragement from people I respect, I eventually accepted. It wasn't something I actively pursued, but I found myself in a position where I felt called to serve. And here I am.
Shonisani: The way you love your club, I thought you were one of the founders
Kom: hahahahha I do love our club, but I am not a founder. You know what else I love about running, running community has no social class. You can be running with CEOs and senior people in big organisations, and they are just like everyone else. There’s no looking down on anyone. We are all out there running, talking and laughing together
Shonisani: Kom yeeeeeees, that is so true. Runners are kind people man.
His Vision for The Club
Shonisani: Leadership is about impact. When your term ends, what do you hope people will remember you for?
Kom: Interestingly, my goal isn't necessarily to do something completely new or different. What made me fall in love with this club is what already exists at its core. Those values are worth protecting. More than anything, I want us to rediscover and strengthen what made this club special. It's not gone, but I think the COVID years had a bigger impact on people than we often acknowledge. It changed behaviours, affected how people connect, and in some ways reduced the compassion and community spirit that once came so naturally. I want people to experience the same sense of family and belonging that I experienced when I first joined. That feeling of waking up excited to spend time with your clubmates. That sense of community where people genuinely care for one another. At its core, this is a beautiful club. The way members support each other, the way they serve communities through CSI initiatives, and the way people step up when help is needed those are things worth celebrating and preserving.
What's remarkable is that many of our CSI projects aren't driven by sponsors. They're driven by members. People willingly contribute their own time, energy, and resources to make a difference. As we've grown, maintaining those values has become more challenging. My goal is to reignite that culture and ensure that as we grow, we don't lose our identity. For me, I'd rather belong to a club of 100 people who genuinely live the club's values than a club of 500 people who don’t. That’s the legacy I hope to contribute to.
Shonisani: Wishing you all the best in your role Kom, the club is really in good hands.
Fatherhood:
Shonisani: Your son… oh man, you really love that boy hey. I always watch your WhatsApp statuses and just smile at how he’s turned you into a softie.
Kom: I love that boy more than I love myself.
Shonisani: What has fatherhood taught you?
Kom: The biggest lesson fatherhood has taught me is to be more mindful and intentional in how I do things. I’ve never considered myself selfish, but being a parent demands an even greater level of selflessness. Strangely, fatherhood has also made me more fearful. Before having my child, I was never afraid of dying. Now I fear not being there to watch him grow up.
WHAT DOES “FINDING MYPOWA” MEAN TO KOM:
It is a journey of self-discovery; with every stage and phase of life you find out new things about yourself and the world around you that makes you think and see life differently. It is a very important process in one’s journey it also helps you understand some of the things that seemed senseless at some point in life. So it is a very important thing in life, and it is very important to be able to see, acknowledge and appreciate it.
Thank you very much for identifying purpose in my story and finding it worth sharing, this has made me see my life in a different light almost as if I had an out of body experience.
Fun Fact:
I am very talkative and funny at times when I am with people, I am comfortable with, but when I am not in those circles, I am very quiet and shy. I am also a keyboard warrior.
Kom, thank you so much for your time. So many people describe you as one of the most generous people they know, and after our offline conversation, I completely understand why. You have a rare kind of selflessness the kind that expects nothing in return and quietly leaves a positive impact on everyone around you.
As you continue to navigate life and its challenges, may the kindness you show others always find its way back to you. May doors open for you when you least expect them, may your generosity be rewarded in ways beyond your imagination, and may you never lack the same support, love, and encouragement that you so freely give to others.
And Chair above all, never forget to tap into your POWA. The same POWA that uplifts others is the very same POWA that will carry you through every season of life.