Dabulamanzi Canoe Club canoeists Dylan Browne and Jack de Swardt participated in the 72nd edition of the Vaal River Marathon hosted in memory of canoeing stalwart Bernie Krone on November 27 and 28.
Unfortunately, the weather was extremely wet and windy but that did not deter the youngsters who won the U23 Doubles Category. They finished the race in 5 hours 13 minutes and were 9th overall and 4th overall un the doubles (K2).
The race covered a distance of 36km on day one and 34km the next day, starting at the Vaal Dam wall and finished at Smiling Thru.
Browne is currently a second-year student at Stellenbosch University and is studying for a Bachelor of Science degree in Conservation Ecology. De Swardt lives in Paarl, Western Cape and is a first-year Wits University studying towards a medical degree. They have decided to train together to take on the Dusi 2022 river race which takes place between February 17 and 19 in 2022.
The annual race covers a distance of 120km between Pietermaritzburg and Durban and is known as one of the world’s toughest endurance kayak events. There are a number of sections where the river is unnavigable and the paddlers have to carry their canoes overland before re-entering the river.
