Obstacle Training Course: youngsters test their skills

YOUNGSTERS often have no idea what their physical skills are and sometimes need someone to discover these hidden abilities for them.

Ricardo Rebelo by chance went to the Southern Obstacle Training Course (OTC) and discovered that this is more than just a playground. After a month’s training at OTC the 18-year-old from Alberton High School is the newest addition as a sponsored athlete.

OTC has been open since January at Thaba Trials in the South and has become a very popular training ground for both young and old.

Rebelo joined OTC South in April when his mother, Michelle Meldau, introduced him to the facility. She has been training at OTC for some time now and decided that maybe her son should give the course a go.

Rudi Delport, mentor at OTC said, “The first time I met Ricardo I decided to do a fitness assessment on him as he was not familiar with Obstacle Course Racing, OCR, but I do know that he excels at cricket at Alberton High school. I was so surprised at what this young man is capable of and knew he was going to be a walking success in the OCR industry.

“I took him under my wing and put Ricardo through a number of training programmes where he once again earned his stripes. He participated in his first warrior race in March where he placed eighth overall. I felt that this was good enough for his first race as there was some tough competition. However, he went back to the drawing board and ensured he focused on his running.

“We then decided that we were going to send Ricardo on a tough race in Cape Town, The Grind. We knew that this would test his boundaries as it was a further distance and a lot more competition. We said placing in the top 10 would be fantastic. However, Ricardo never seems to disappoint. He placed first in his batch and third overall.”

Ricardo is testimony to what can be achieved if one puts one’s mind to it. “We strongly believe that everyone deserves an opportunity and Ricardo is proof of that. We have seen so much growth in him and cannot wait to see what the future holds for him. We would like to thank his sponsor, Salvatore Beretti, from AMR Tech, for getting him to Cape Town and back and giving him the opportunity to show his true talent.

“Join us at OTC South – you never know what hidden talents you have until you give it a shot,” Delport says.

Anyone one interested can contact Rudi or Lesley Delport on 076 883 7564.