31 races and still going strong
Cyclist David Kneebone is geared up for his 32nd Amashova race. The Durban resident enjoys the pleasure of completing a race.
IT is all about the satisfaction of completing a task for Durban’s David Kneebone as he is about to participate in his 32nd Amashova race. The 79-year-old has completed so many races, so he can hardly recall the events of his first race, but he remembers the feeling he always gets when finishing a race.
“I was just over 40 when I entered my very first Amashova race, and like all the races I have taken part in, completing the race was a satisfaction, and I knew it was something I wanted to carry on with. Thirty-one races later, and I am looking forward to this year’s race and next year’s,” he said.
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Being 79, Kneebone said cycling has become second nature to him as he acquired the skill from a very young age. “Cycling for me is not something you can really train hard for. I started as early as six or seven, and I have never forgotten how it is done,” he said.
Caxton Media recently sat down with Kneebone in his office on a typical week day morning. At 9am piles of documents were scattered around him and his computers were switched on. The accountant credited his success to his daily routine.
“Training has become a lifestyle. This morning, I woke up at four in the morning for an outdoor activity, and I came back to my desk to carry on working. I am way past the retirement age, but my life is all about work, and that is what keeps me going,” he said.
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Kneebone admitted to not having a smooth race with all the 31 Amashova races and said these were building blocks for him. “In 2019, I remember I was not able to finish the race because it was a hot day, and with all the heat coming from the tar road, I just could not finish the race. This experience did not derail me; I knew from that moment that I will come back the next year for another race.
“For me, it is not about entering to win a prize, it is about the satisfaction that comes with doing something you had promised yourself to do and going through with it. Finishing a race needs mental strength; that is what keeps you going,” he said. Having completed 16 Comrades Marathon races, 16 Duces races, 32 Midmar Mile races, and going for the 32nd Amashova, Kneebone said that all this is part of his life as working seven days a week takes centre stage for him.
