Zola Budd was born to an Afrikaans family on 26 May 1966 in Bloemfontein. She was one of five children. Budd was especially close to her older sister Jenny and they would often run together.
In 1984,at the age of 17, Budd made history when she twice broke the world 5000m record However, because of South Africa’s isolation from International sporting events the time, Budd could not be awarded the title of world record holder.
The Rand Daily Mail, a British Newspaper advised Budd to apply for British citizenship on the grounds that her father was British. As a British citizen, Budd could then compete internationally. Budd soon became famous not only for her record breaking athletic skills but also for her choice to run barefoot.
After a few years of competing internationally, Budd returned to South Africa in 1989. She took part in the 1992 Olympic Games.
Budd now lives in South Carolina, in the US with her family. She has since retired from professional athletics. In South Africa, her name will always be associated with the mini bus taxi named after her.
Source: South African History Online
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