Tony Botes – the Dusi legend
There's few men who epitomise the camaraderie and spirit of the Dusi Canoe Marathon like Tony Botes.
A GOOD place to start when interviewing Tony ‘Boats’ Botes is to ask what hasn’t he done. The Dusi Canoe Marathon veteran will complete his 30th race this year and incredibly, has run 18 Comrades Marathons, paddled 25 Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathons, and has even played professional soccer. The 56 year old said his approach to every Dusi is the same.
“It’s like I’m doing my first, the excitement is still there. I couldn’t pick out my best Dusi moment, they are all special,” he enthused.
Botes is hard to miss out on the uMngeni and uMsundusi rivers with his unmistakable feathered head dress and war paint which has earned him the nickname of the legendary Native American leader Hiawatha. They are also good luck charms.
“There was one instant where I was sucked underwater at one of the rapids and the only thing that my rescuer saw were the feathers floating, so he was able to see exactly where I was,” he said.
His paddling safari started after a knee injury curtailed a promising football career. “I played defender for Bush Bucks and a number of other teams and we tackled hard. After the knee injury, doctors said I could never run or play soccer again.
“Instead of giving up, I started paddling which strengthened my knee so much so that I was able to play out my football career fairly late on in the age scale,” he said.
The Crusaders Canoe Club member paddled his first Dusi in 1984. “I remember it well. I paddled with a good mate, Doug Florence, but there was no water like there is today, no big water release from Inanda Dam. Doug steered and I pushed from behind the canoe. It was tough work.
“There weren’t that many spectators either. Few people realised the camaraderie and the spirit of the race, it’s about bonding with people and encouraging them. I live to laugh and make people around me smile,” Botes explained.
This year he’s paddling with another mate, Mike Lusted who is doing his 10th and it will be their 10th together as a K2 partnership. “I’m really looking forward to the Dusi this year, it’s going to be fantastic,” he said.
