Champions raise the bar at Drak Challenge
Abby Solms and Andy Birkett won their respective races at the N3TC Drak Challenge on Sunday
ANDY Birkett won his eighth title at this weekend’s N3TC Drak Challenge canoe marathon.
Birkett battled it out with Hank McGregor in a tactical gamble in the closing stages and added that the race and the region it runs through means a lot to him.
“I really enjoy this part of the country and we are so lucky to just be able to paddle down this river. It is one of those races that is not governed by a dam release, so you are at the mercy of mother nature, and we were really lucky this weekend,” he added.
Meanwhile, Abby Solm extended her run of victories to win a ninth title making her the race’s most consistently successful champion.
She attributed this to her years of experience on the uMzimkhulu River at every possible river level.
“I surprised myself,” she enthused. “I wouldn’t say it felt like home, but I do feel so comfortable here and enjoyed the water so much.”
With a significant overnight lead in the bank, Solms turned to the male paddlers around her to keep the pace high, and her chasers at bay.
“It was great mixing it up with the men. It helps you to push things along. It changes the dynamic of the race when you can’t drop off through a rapid, you just have to go full gas to hang onto them.”
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