Montecasino’s Wonder Woman
LONEHILL - Lonehill resident and marketing manager of Montecasino, Debbie Combrink has conquered the gruelling Sani2C multi-day mountain bike race.
The 270-kilometre race started in Underberg, KwaZulu Natal and ended in Scottburgh.
“As a weekend warrior who managed a few spinning classes here and there I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” Combrink said.
A single mom with a demanding career, Combrink admitted that her training was not as consistent as it needed to be. In the weeks leading up to the race she was plagued by flu and also had to fit in an overseas work trip.
Yet when race day arrived she was happy to be there.
“I was so excited. But my biggest fear on the day was that I wouldn’t be able to cross the water bridge,” she said.
On day one Combrink managed to cross the water bridge but an error saw her fly over her handlebars to injure her elbow and graze her legs. “Six stitches later I was doubting whether I would even be able to start day two,” she said.
Combrink said that day two was treacherous. She completed 100 kilometres in nine-and-a-half hours. “A few tears were shed and lots of swearing along the way,” she said. “We finally crossed the finish line and I was broken, emotionally and physically exhausted.”
To her delight she was upgraded to a luxury caravan for the night. “A proper mattress, a basin to brush my teeth in without standing in a queue, a fully-stocked fridge and a plug point to charge my cellphone – simple pleasures I had never appreciated more,” she said.
Combrink started day three by focusing all her energy on one pedal stroke at a time.
“Riding on to Scottburgh beach at the end of three gruelling days, I felt like a Wonder Woman!” she said.
“Too many people use their circumstances in life as an excuse for not fulfilling their dreams and achieving their goals,” she added. “I am walking, or riding, proof that you can, in fact, do anything you set your mind to.”
