Durbanites kick-start Dusi prep

LOCAL paddler, Sbonelo Khwela and his paddling partner, Thulani Mbanjwa, recently kick-started their preparation for the 2020 Dusi Canoe Marathon from 27 to 29 February.

Sbonelo and Thulani competed in the recent Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon and believe they are comfortable in a boat together.

“The race, Ibis Point to Mbejes, was great training for the Dusi that’s for sure!” said Sbonelo. “We paced ourselves well in the paddling sections and ran well, considering it was the first time that we ran together. We are in a good place right now, even though we have a long way to go until the Dusi.”

With just more than two months to go until the iconic race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, the pair isn’t jumping into their training full on just yet and understand the importance of taking their preparation in stages.

“I think that a lot of rest is very important in the lead up to the Dusi, especially in a K2 year. We are also going to stay away from training in the K2 quite a lot and focus on K1 training as you don’t want to over train. With so much time between now and the Dusi, we are going to be careful about how we go about our training. We might go up and paddle the Fast Drak, but we haven’t discussed that properly.”

ALSO READ: Rugby legend tackles monumental charity challenge

Sbonelo and Thulani have both been on the top step of the Dusi podium in the past, albeit with different partners. With the two pairing up for the 2020 Dusi, the pressure could be on them to claim the overall title. Sbonelo doesn’t believe there is any added pressure on them.

“We are going to go out there and give it our all and, if we win, then that is a massive bonus!” he said. “The main aim is to paddle the best race that we can possibly paddle and be proud of our effort.”

Sbonelo has become a shining light for paddling in KwaZulu-Natal and by teaming up with fellow Martin Dreyer Change a Life Academy ambassador, Thulani, he believes they can make history at next year’s race.

For Sbonelo, seeing other paddlers succeed and grow, is a massive part of why he paddles.

“I am more than happy to help out the younger paddlers and try and teach them everything I know because I want them to do well and be the best paddlers that they can be. Does this make me feel any more pressure? No, definitely not. I hope that they can beat me one day, just not today!” he laughed.

To enter the epic race, visit www.dusi.co.za

Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via Telegram? Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409.

You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts.

Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.