JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - 14 October 2010: Interview with former Comrades Marathon winner Nick Bester after he was thrown off his bicycle, kicked, beaten and threatened with a knife by attackers on the Mabopane highway in Pretoria West, South Africa early on Thursday 14 October 2010. Bester suffered a broken rib from the incident and his R50 000 mountain-bike and other valuables were stolen. One of the alleged attackers was apprehended soon after the incident, with Bester's cellular phone. Bester has nine Comrades gold medals to his name, and won the race in 1991. (Photo by Gallo Images/Foto24/Lulama Zenzile)
It’s a sad indictment on our country that when you run or cycle on our roads, your life is at risk. Last Sunday, former Comrades Marathon winner Nick Bester was savagely attacked by three thugs while training in the Magaliesberg Mountains, near Pretoria. He was left with three broken ribs, a cheekbone injury and several cuts over his body.
The images released of his injuries after his ordeal were brutal, after being forced to escape down a mountain in search of help and safety. Fortunately, he was released from hospital yesterday, after initially spending a few days in ICU.
Bester told this newspaper: “I’m one of the lucky ones. I won’t go out on my own again. I’m done.” Bester is certainly tough. His nine Comrades Marathon gold medals, including a win in 1991, and six silver medals is a testament to that. He also had plenty of success on the ironman circuit as a triathlete.
If a tough athlete like Bester, albeit at 60 years of age, stood no chance against those thugs, what chance does the average runner or cyclist stand against criminals? Bester is not the only high-profile sportsman who has been a victim of an attack while training.
Rising triathlete Mhlengi Gwala almost lost a leg in a nasty chainsaw attack in 2018 while cycling to training in KwaZulu-Natal. In a different case, Burry Stander, an Olympic mountain biker, was killed after a minibus taxi hit him while he was cycling on the South Coast.
There are countless other victims … the attack highlights the unacceptable danger runners and cyclists face each day when they leave their homes to train. Bester, who was also attacked in 2010 while training, reveals he is not the first person to fall victim to criminals in that area.
There’s plenty of evidence suggesting there is a crime pattern in those mountains. Something drastic needs to be done to stop these criminals and halt the high level of crime in this country. If not, the next victim may not be as fortunate to get away alive.
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