Zola Budd

Vocation

Notable

Traits

Family

South African-British athlete called the world's fastest woman. A wisp of a girl at 5'2" and 83 pounds, she proved herself a distance runner of world-class when she broke Mary Decker's record. Budd stood little chance at further international competition, as South Africa was excluded from virtually all major international events because of apartheid. Buffeted by the politics surrounding her African nationality and suffering from nervous exhaustion, she withdrew from sports in May 1988. Budd learned to run 10-13 miles a day barefoot on paths and tracks; she wore shoes over rough terrain. She was raised on a small farm and lived a simple life, however, her dad, from whom she became long estranged, was later murdered. It was alleged that he was a homosexual. In 1989, Budd married businessman Mike Pieterse; their daughter, Lisa, was born in 1995. Their rural but modest rural home houses a menagerie of ducks, dogs, cats and ostriches. Despite periodic visits from the curious, she claims that she is happier than she has ever been and does not miss international competition. Link to Wikipedia biography