Paddlers build up their endurance ahead of Dusi

Paddlers are practising hard in preparation of the FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon.

December 2, 2019

Content provided 1 minute read

Colin Wilson, Eurosteel CEO and Nic Oldert (front boat) receive the baton from team members Liam Stewart and Ryan Ziervogel, u-21 FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon contenders, in the recent Enduro Relay Race hosted by Dabulamanzi Canoe Club.

With the upcoming FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban scheduled to take place in February, next year, canoeists are caught up in fitness and endurance fever.

The Dabulamanzi Canoe Club, based at Emmarentia Dam, recently hosted a four-hour Enduro Relay Race where paddlers could either paddle for four hours and see how many laps they could clock, or they could do the event as a relay team with anything from one to four paddlers in the team, paddling in K1 kayaks, K2 kayaks or a K3 kayak plus a K1 kayak to clock up the most laps, depending on their fitness.

A two-hour Junior Enduro Competition also took place, enabling young paddlers who participate in the Gauteng Canoe Union School League to participate and develop their endurance abilities.

There was a lot of enjoyment, fun and camaraderie on the water as it was not a serious seeding race, but about fitness and stamina, with speed.

Malcolm Stothard and Mike Barry (far boat) wait to receive the baton from their doubles partners and world champion paddlers Clinton Cook and Wayne Jacobs in the recent Enduro Relay Race hosted by Dabulamanzi Canoe Club. They won the fun event.

A number of paddlers who are based in the Germiston area participated in the enjoyable event.

They formed part of a relay team.

Colin Wilson, CEO of Eurosteel, based in Wadeville, partnered with Nic Oldert.

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The two have just returned from the International Canoe Federation World Master Marathon Canoe Championships held in China.

Their two doubles boats in their relay team included partnerships with young u-21 paddlers, Liam Stewart from Benoni and Ryan Ziervogel from the South, who are planning to do the Dusi together.

Malcolm Stothard, owner of the Kayak Centre, boat builders in Modderfontein, partnered with Mike Barry to make up a four-man team of two doubles, with two of South Africa’s top paddlers, namely Clinton Cook and Wayne Jacobs, to win the event.

The teams counted 45 and 47 laps, respectively.

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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Ashley Kiley (Journalist) ashleyk@caxton.co.za.

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