Letshego Zulu. Picture: Twitter /letshegom
I have had the pleasure of trying out a variety of sports over the years. In fact, I’m well known for throwing myself into all kinds of adventures.
Had anyone asked me five years ago if I ever thought I would find myself sitting in an off-road race car as driver or navigator, I would have said, “impossible”.
I am fast realising that the quote “nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m possible” has some real truth in it.
For a good 14 years (2002 to 2016), I spent hours on end at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Zwartkops Raceway, Killarney Raceway and other off-road events, supporting my late husband Gugu Zulu in his racing career.
Yes, it was his passion and I was the supportive girlfriend who later became the wife.
Not once did I find myself beside him in any of the race cars. In fact, the many laps I’ve done around Kyalami and Zwarkops were all done with other drivers.
I can’t explain why it never happened beside him, we never spoke about it and I guess I will never know.
Fast-forward to the end of 2018 and a chance meeting at the Festival of Motoring between myself and renowned South African racing champion Terence Marsh, chief executive of Red-Lined Motoring Adventure landed me with an invitation to navigate for him in one of the South African Cross-Country Series events.
It was a mind-blowing experience, tough and challenging, but I’m a fast learner and managed to complete that first event.
It is a challenging office that requires ultra focus, as the navigator has to perform five tasks at once: read the notes and give instructions to the driver; keep an eye on the GPS; keep an eye on the two odometers; keep an eye on the road ahead and reset the odometer with a button after each corner or instruction is complete.
All of this must happen at high speed off-road, so you are being shaken like a rag doll while performing these five tasks. Intense to say the least!
After that first experience, I have since completed four events as his navigator. Yes, the bug bit.
Fast-forward to June 2020 and Marsh plants a seed for a what he called a driver training “play date”. He suggested we switch roles. Little did I know what lay ahead.
I had a mix of emotions, between nervousness and excitement. I had two firsts ahead of me, my first time in the driver’s seat and my first time driving a left-hand drive vehicle.
I was more nervous about the left-hand drive than being the driver. I was worried my mind wouldn’t grasp the idea of changing gears with my right hand after 16 years of using my left. But I pride myself in being a fast learner.
We went out for a couple of laps with Marsh in the driver’s seat, giving me tips on how the car works, the weight transfer when braking versus accelerating, how to best take corners, how and when to gear up and down by listening to the car, and so on. It was a lot more complex than I thought.
Our two mechanics Fanwell Murapa and Rex Mudikili then changed our seats around and I took to the driver’s seat.
Having not driven a manual in while, I stalled a couple of times, but once I got going, the rush set in.
It was a thrill ride like no other. Marsh even had me drifting in an open field. Now I know why Gugu constantly had that big smile on his face after driving. This was his best-kept secret!
I still have a lot to learn and can see myself behind the wheel again if the opportunity presents itself.
This is a male-dominated sport and never did I ever think I would find myself behind the driver’s seat of a 2.2-ton V8-powered T1 Nissan Navara off-road racing car.
It was another absolutely mind-blowing experience. Thank you Terence Marsh.
Zulu is a qualified biokineticist and cofounder of PopUpGym. Follow her on Instagram: @letshego. zulu; Twitter: @letshegom; Facebook: Letshego Zulu
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