OBSTACLE Course Racing (OCR) is a sport in which a competitor, who may also be part of a team, overcomes various physical challenges in the form of obstacles.
The races are designed to challenge mental and physical abilities, plus test the human body. Around the world we are seeing an increased uptake in the sport and – specific to South Africa – several facilities are popping up, enabling young and more seasoned athletes to train and compete in different races; a popular one being The Jeep Warrior Race.
The Obstacle Course Racing World Championships took place on October 15 to 16 in Canada, hosting South African OCR athletes who qualified as some of the best in the world. Amongst those was a Kibler Park resident and matric student, Ricardo Rebelo from Alberton High school – a young athlete who’s had to juggle both OCR training and his studies.
Ricardo Rebelo said: “ The terrain wasn’t the easiest on the first day due to the day before’s rain, which made the run a bit challenging.” The sport continues to be an instrument in building character and perseverance in all competitors and in this case, a young man is learning important lessons about the need for hard work and determination to reach his goals – key life skills for young people finishing school and entering the ‘big bad world’.
South African athletes are becoming serious competitors in the OCR space both locally and internationally. Rebelo added: “The obstacles were relatively easy and didn’t challenge me to the extent that the South African OCR does, in races such as The Warrior, The Beast etc.” In the 3km sprint, he finished in a time of 30:04;30 and was placed 18th in his age category, with a winning time of 21:13;10.
In the main 15km event in the men’s 18 to 24 age category, with 45 obstacles, Rebelo finished in the Top 100 of the world’s best, with a time of 3:19;38 – and was placed 81st overall out of 126, making not only South Africa but also Kibler Park and his school communities proud.
Alberton High has supported him in his OCR journey during his final matric year. On his way back to South Africa, Rebelo says he used the travel time to study and prepare for his first final exam. He landed only an hour before his exam was due to commence. “One thing OCR has taught me is dedication, both for the sport as well as my school work – and I hope that I can be an inspiration to other young aspiring athletes such as I still am myself.”
