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Photo: Chris Hitchcok

Photo: Spur High School Mountainbike League

Photo: Deon van Deventer

I have been doing triathlon since 2004 (age 8).

I've always enjoyed the sport, in particular the off-road (cross) triathlons because of the variety they offer. You have to be solid at all the aspects of the race (swim, bike, run and transitions between the disciplines), and mentally strong. This is especially evident on the run (the last leg of the race and often the toughest because athletes are so fatigued) where you often see slower athletes beating others just because they are mentally tougher.

 

My parents and family have played a huge role in my continuing in the sport for so long. From a young age my dad and I would run in the vineyards near our house, and bikes and cycling have always been an important part of our life - our family would often go for day trips to cycle at the various trail centres around the Western Cape, and every holiday involved bikes.

 

I won SA triathlon champs for the first time in 2005 in Grade 3. Western Province had a strong junior team and we dominated SA's for the next few years, often claiming the top 3 positions. I won SA's again in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Then followed a period where I lost focus a bit, struggling to find the motivation to put in the extra training required to still be competitive at that level, and a bit over the clinical nature of road triathlons.

 

In 2012 I competed at Xterra Grabouw for the first time. There were over a thousand people on the start line, and I was not expecting anything amazing.

By the end of the bike I was surprised to find myself in 2nd and keen to run the leader down. Winning that race was an amazing feeling – coming on to the final section along the beach with a helicopter overhead and people going crazy was absolutely amazing. This race reminded me of why I enjoy the sport so much – it retained the sense of fun that the road triathlons had lost. 

Cross-triathlons are unpredictable – it's easy to puncture or fall. The route's are tough, challenging and a proper test of all three disciplines.

I had found my love for the sport again, and from then on I have focused on cross triathlon.

 

I attended Paul Roos Gymnasium, where I tried to make the most of all the amazing opportunities the school has to offer – water polo, Biathle, athletics, hockey, choir and 2 years as Captain of the Mountain bike Team that won the national champs for 4 years in a row. I also started to make videos of the various sports events and for Big Brags and we have now started a 'tradition' – videos in assembly after major sports events are now a thing. Paul Roos had a huge impact on my life and how I live it, and I've got a lot to thank the school for.

 

In 2014 I attended my first World Champs, mainly due to the support of Silverback who committed to paying for my flights if I podiumed. The experience opened up a whole new world to me, it showed me what it's like to train and compete on a whole other level.

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