02/10/2026
Dear Club MontanaRama,
On Saturday, 3 October 2026, Helmut and I will be celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary. We will also be hosting the Gazebo at the Chamberlains race, but this particular Saturday is about so much more than a wedding anniversary or a race. It is a celebration of life, love, hope and the incredible goodness of God.
I would like to share something deeply personal with you, something that none of you knew about us when we first started this journey together.
On 3 October 2022, Helmut and I were nowhere near Run/Walk for Life. We hardly even knew about it. On that very day, four years ago, we were in a very different place. Helmut was lying in Mediclinic on life support, and on 6 October, his heart stopped for the first time.
We were walking a road we never imagined we would have to travel. There were so many uncertainties, so many tears and so many moments when all we could do was hold on to God.
But God...
Those two little words changed our story in ways we could never have imagined.
When I started my coaches training in September 2024, Helmut was still in hospital, and our future was far from certain. I honestly wasn't sure whether I would be able to do this. There were so many unknowns, and I had no idea what the road ahead would look like for either of us.
Yet, look at us now! Today, four years after that very difficult anniversary, we are celebrating 34 years of marriage, serving together as your coaches, and standing alongside a MontanaRama family that has become so incredibly precious to us.
Run/Walk For Life Montana has given us new life in more ways than one. When we started in January 2025, we had just one member. Today, we are knocking on the door of our first 100 members before the end of the year!
Somewhere along the way, we managed to build a club around us that means the world to us. Every single one of you has become part of our story, and every one of you holds a very special place in our hearts.
So, Montana, we have decided that 3 October will be a celebration!
🎉 We would love you to wear your Lumo, add a white ribbon and, if you have one, a white tutu. You might even see a bride and groom wearing sashes at the Gazebo, if I can convince my very private groom to join in! 😂🤍
This is not just about the Maasplaas celebrating 34 years of marriage. It is about celebrating the gift of another day, the privilege of being able to walk and run together, and the beautiful community God has allowed us to build.
It is about remembering where we have been, appreciating where we are, and being grateful for every step still ahead of us.
Thank you, Montana, for being our community. Thank you for your love, your support, your laughter, your commitment and for allowing us to be part of your lives.
You have become so much more than members of a club. You are our people, and we love you dearly. Four years ago, we could not have imagined being here today. In September 2024, I wasn't even sure I would be able to become a coach. Yet here we are, celebrating 34 years of marriage and almost 100 members, with hearts overflowing with gratitude.
All glory to God, who carried us then and continues to walk with us today.
You put the Rama in Montana! Let's celebrate life, love and the beautiful gift of being here together!
You are simply the best! 🤍💚
With so much love,
Magda & Helmut Maas
Your Montana Coaches
