My Story
Living on borrowed time, my story. For those who want to know more about my background and my personal experiences, I hope this can help you identify your own personal struggles and give you hope that its not over, there is hope. I never imagine that I would be so open about something that has so much stigma attached to it but what I have learnt is that we can only keep what we have by giving it away and that is the purpose of me being so transparent about my experience of not only running but also recovery; what it was like; what happened and what it is like today.
I remember it like it was yesterday, the isolation, despair, and shame, it was consuming and paralyzing, it was sometimes hard to go outside yet alone run. This was a result of the paranoia. BUT on one of my darkest days, someone told me that I too could do great things one day and receiving that beautiful gift of hope, that sliver of light illuminated the dark room which I had imprisoned myself into for so many years.
So my name is Jo Keppler. I am a mum of a wonderful adventurous and kind boy, Leo and wife to an amazing husband who helps me see the good in myself when I am unable to. I am blessed to have my mum and dad live close by and they are so supportive of my running as this for them was the light that led me to a path of freedom, one of my most important values. I studied a Bcom Finance but never completed the degree, with only three subjects left, I was unable to commit to much. Years of alcohol and drug abuse as well bulimia left me feeling empty and “flaky”.
From there it has been a rollercoaster ride to say the least with my last stop in a treatment centre in 2019. From that point on I found an absolute love and passion for ultra running. I worked as a trainee counsellor in the treatment centre after that, then as a sales and procurement manger followed by a stint in hospital in 2023 (cecal volvulus) I knew that I wanted to follow my passion. I had completed a course in ultra endurance coaching the year before but was too afraid to do it until that moment when I remembered that I live on borrowed time and I have to follow the light that has guided me so far, I resigned from my job and started Jo Keppler Coaching.
I am lucky, I am grateful, and I am full of hope that my story will help others.
As a child, I was a lively and active child running and smiling. I was full of energy and was given the Zulu name “Namoosa” (the kind one) by the women who worked at my mother’s restaurant. Primary school was great, I did well in the classroom and on the field and had taken on leadership roles where possible. Involved in all sports, particularly swimming and hockey. I started high school at Howick High where I found myself drawn to the lure of house parties and getting high. Sport became more of a hack than something I wanted to pursue, as I was too hung over to get to hockey matches by 7am. I was always in trouble, so my parents moved me to St Anne’s in Hilton. Things improved there and I was strong academically, but by standard eight I was spending my weekends at night clubs drinking excessively and had started experimenting with ecstasy and cocaine. By the age of 16 I developed bulimia and thought that this would be a quick and easy way to lose weight, not knowing the hold it would have on me for years to come as well as the degree of devastation it would cause for my body and mind.
I took a gap year in Greece as my dad is Greek and there was a small part of me that believed that by doing a geographical and moving to another country would solve all my problems. This was the start of my belief that running away would fix the problem. In matter of fact this had the opposite effect and my addiction, drinking and eating disorder spiralled out of control – the disease devouring every inch of my being like a tornado destroying everything in sight. After 6 months of being in Greece my mom came to see me and knew it was time to take me home. This was due to an accident where I was severely burnt by fire (I was drunk and had caught the pot of oil alight- consequences of my drinking were materialising at this point) BUT I still thought I was in control.
I attended Varsity College and studied for a B Com degree through UNISA, I received ten distinctions in first year but again I could only grasp onto this belief of the “control” I thought I had for brief moments until that tornado would come tearing through again.
In 2019 I was introduced to someone who was in recovery, he shared his experience of recovery and told me ‘you’re going to do great things one day’. For a moment there was a bit of light in the darkness that I had lost myself in for so long- this ray of light would ultimately illuminate the room and help guide me to the life that I live today – joyous, happy, and free. I honestly believe that my higher power works through people, I was shown love and given grace through the belief of someone else. I admitted myself to the Treatment facility in February 2019 which offered me something different to what I had experience in the past in other treatment centres, it offered me a solution within myself, not outside. The rehab is based on a 12-step programme and focused on accountability and service. That worked for me and that was the start of a most wonderful journey. In a sense I had died at thirty – this was now a new life for me.
I honestly believe that my higher power works through people, I was shown love and given grace through the belief of someone else. I admitted myself to the Treatment facility in February 2019 which offered me something different to what I had experience in the past in other treatment centres, it offered me a solution within myself, not outside. The rehab is based on a 12-step programme and focused on accountability and service. That worked for me and that was the start of a most wonderful journey. In a sense I had died at thirty – this was now a new life for me.
I started running a bit in treatment but because of my history with an eating disorder the counsellors were incredibly careful that this did not become my “solution” or fix. I left treatment in April 2019 where I immediately started running on the farm road by our home. With my newfound love of running, I thought that entering a race would be a good idea to keep me motivated and discipline especially on the cold winter mornings, so I entered the Karkloof 50 miler – which I then changed to the Karkloof 100 miler after placing second woman in the 75 km Umgeni River Run a month before Karkloof was scheduled.
Kakrloof 100 miler was an extraordinarily special run for me, and I realised the power of change, the power of surrender to the thoughts that keep us stuck in a victim state of mind. What became apparent in this race was that my family, friends and supporters were there along the way – this was so symbolic of my journey and I realised that I was never alone, I had my family and friends beside me the entire time, I just chose not to look outside myself. As I crossed the finish line, Leo holding my hand, I burst into tears. I think I cried for about a week after that race. I felt alive, I felt at peace and I felt love. Love from so many people, in that moment I knew that I had a strong message to share and decided that I would start an Instagram account posting the picture of the day I went into treatment.
I then ran several more marathons, finishing second in the Lesotho Ultra 50km and winning the Kearnsey Half Marathon and the Hillcrest Marathon. When COVID struck and all races were cancelled, I continued to train through the lockdown and built my strength. In this time, I thought of all the children that were not going to school and the effect of many of them being stuck at home, many of whom live with their abusers. Another ramification of COVID was that many of these children were missing breakfast and even lunch as many children in South Africa get their quota of vitamins through school feeding programmes. I decided to use this opportunity of using my running and my story for a good cause and ran 130 km run for the Southern Lodestar Foundation in November 2020.
I knew that I had to move from being the victim to the victor, I have the power in me to make the choice about how I am going to live my life, and I choose to use what I have been through for good.
I returned to racing in 2021
I do believe that my experience and knowledge in life and running has given me the tools to be able to assist others, this is why my 1:1 caching is slightly different to other coaches in the field but that can be read on my coaching page.