Running Comrades With a Skipping Rope to Stop Human Trafficking | Marissa Groenewald S1E18

Running 90 kilometres across the brutal hills of Comrades is daunting enough. Doing it while continuously skipping rope sounds completely impossible.

In Episode 18 of the She’s Gutsy Podcast, host Juli Kleinhans sits down with Marissa Groenewald, the pioneering athlete known globally as The Rope Runner. What began as a modest 15-minute jog just to clear her head from toddler chaos quickly grew into podium finishes at trail ultras, a severe hip injury, and the accidental birth of a discipline no human had ever attempted. From pushing through gale-force winds and agonizing collapses to facing public mockery, Marissa opens up about navigating single motherhood, building a business, and turning physical agony into a sacred mission.

For Marissa, it was never a stunt for applause: every step a prayer, every skip a life to shine a light into the darkness of human trafficking and protect the voiceless.

If you have ever carried a calling that didn’t make sense to anyone else, or wondered whether the quiet, broken pieces in your hands could ever be used to change the world… this episode is for you.

This isn’t just an interview; it’s a real, honest conversation, no pressure, no performance, and no perfection.

Grab a coffee (or listen post-workout!) and join us. What was your biggest takeaway from Marissa’s story?