Below are the names which make up the Gauteng Team for SA Marathon Champs, at Camps Drift, on 12th and 13th August. I will try not to clutter this mail up with too much text but I do have a few points.
Up top are the Schools’ paddlers. It was fantastic to see such a good turnout, and lots of credit must go to Josie for her tireless efforts. The portages were a bit congested but I believe the positives outweighed the negatives. We may have to tweak the hows and whens of the take-outs and put-ins next year, but it’s all a learning curve. The younger paddlers are like sponges and they suck up lessons at a frightening rate. If they’re continually exposed to proper, unprotected starts, they will be wise and tough when they’re U16 / U18 and that is precisely what we want.
You will notice that there is no “A”, “B”, “C” next to their names because they’re too young to start accumulating points towards colours. There are one or two really talented athletes – particularly in U14 / U16 – for whom this may seem a bit harsh but, hang in there guys, your time will come and, before you know it, you will be shredding the senior bunches.
Whereas these paddlers do not accumulate points yet, they do get the honour of wearing The Red Vest at SA’s. Congratulations, everyone, wear it with pride.
Girls.
U12
Ameerah Hank
U14
Jo- Prinsloo
Kamilah Hank
Tinyiko Mahway
U16
Megan Oelofse
Alexis Richie
Sisanda Mthabela
Boys.
U8
Aiden Honke
Ethan Duncan
Kai Davis
U10
Luke wilson
Matthew Wilson
Jess Webber
U12
Lynton Oelfose
David Brown
Theo Dreyer
U14
Finlay leask
Ruan van pletzen
Luca Pierini
U16
Zanenhlanhla Mbala
Gustav (Jnr) Smook
Wongama Makhasi
On to the older categories and this was particularly difficult. KZN’s calendar change created a whole host of problems for us. Some of our fast paddlers were put in the unenviable position of having to choose between going to KZN to paddle on the SA’s and World’s course, or staying at home to paddle our only trial. This major calendar clash is unacceptable, unfair on our union, unfair on our paddlers, and I sincerely hope that it does not happen again in the future. However, what is at stake here is principle and, consequently but unfortunately, the paddlers who elected to go to KZN were not considered for the team. Who were considered for the team, however, were fit and committed paddlers, who were intending on paddling the trials, but could not participate due to illness.
These names do have “A”, “B”, “C” as they do accumulate points towards Gauteng Colours. I’m sure you all know that an “A” team representation is worth more points than a “B”, which is worth more than a “C”. It is not just a simple case of who beat who on the trials. A lot of thought went into this too. A strong consideration here is the concept of ‘standard’. If a paddler wins a relatively weak category, should he/she get more points than someone who was pipped into second place in an exceptionally strong category? So the selectors kept a ‘virtual paddler’ in mind who represented the “A” standard, and against who everyone was racing in their particular category. This is necessary to ensure that we move away from awarding provincial colours for participation instead of excellence. Fortunately, Mike and Pete know paddling inside out, and this was quite easy for them.
Please Note! you only get your points if you go to SA’s and take part.
K1 – Ladies.
U18
A team – CAROLINE VAN DER LINDE – LIK
B team – SINAZO MNQOKOYI – SOW
U23
A team – HOLLY SPENCER – DAB
A team – MORGAN ZIERVOGEL – JCC
B team – ASANDA NDLOVU – SOW
Senior
B team- NATALI COETZEE – WAT
Veteran
A team – Caroline Filmalter – WAT
B team – Hanli Bezuidenhout – CEN
C team – JESSICA BOOYZEN – WAT
Sub Master
A team – ANNA CLIFFORD ARWIDI – DAB
A team – SARAH EVANS – DAB
Grand Master
A team -MINNIE KRETZSCHMAR – DAB
K1 – Men.
U18
A team – TRISTAN TRICAN – FLO
A team – LIAM STEWART – ERK
B team – SIPHIWE MAKHUBO – SOW
U23 Men
A team – PETER CHISSANO – JCC
A team – MOSHE NGHOMANI – FLO
Senior Men
A team – MICHAEL ARTHUR – DAB
A team – SISEKO NTONDINI – SOW
B team – NICHOLAS WEEKS – ERK
B team – PHINEAS ZULU – SOW
C team – ZONELE NZUZA – SOW
C team – MICHAEL-JOHN ROBB – DAB
Sub Vet
A team – WAYNE JACOBS – DAB
A team – ELTON DU PREEZ – CEN
Veteran
A team – DAVE HAMILTON-BROWN – DAB
A team – KOBUS FILMALTER – WAT
B team – KELVIN BYRES – DAB
B team – SHAUN MAPHANGA – FLO
C team – WIKUS LOOTS – LOW
C team – SHELDON BAKER – DAB
Sub Master
A team – MICHAEL STEWART – ERK
A team – LUKE SYMONS – DAB
B team – GUSTAV SMOOK – LOW
B team – PIETER ENGELBRECHT – ERK
C team – JOHAN STRYDOM – CEN
C team – NICHOLAS WARREN – DAB
Master
A team – MALCOLM STOTHARD – DAB
A team – WILLEM LANDMAN – CEN
A team – BRADLEY FISHER – DAB
B team – ANDREW COOPER – DAB
B team – MARK HANDLEY – VIC
C team – ANTON NEL – VIC
Sub Grandmaster
A team – COLIN WILSON – DAB
A team – HARDUS THEUNISSEN – FLO
Grandmaster
A team – GRAHAM HOLM – DAB
Sub Great Grandmaster
A team – PETER OCONNOR – DAB
Great Grandmaster
A team – VINCENT BUTTRICK – ERK
B team – CLAUDE GRAHAM – DAB
Photo – Bertie Baart
C1 – Men.
Senior
A team – CALVIN MOKOTO – ERK
Sub Grand Master
A team – RADOSLAW OLSZEWSKI – ERK
Para.
A team – CONSTANT OLIVIER – FLO
K2 Ladies.
Sub Vet
C team – Shelley ROBERTSON / GERTRUIDA ELIZABETH VAN DER WESTHUIZEN – CRO / CEN
Master
A team – SYLVIA NEL / KATARZYNA LAPACZ – LIK / FLO
K2 Men.
U18
A team – SIBUSISO CHWAYI / ZANENHLANHLA MBALA – SOW / SOW
A team – BAMBO FANTENI / BUHLEBENKOSI PHAKATHI – SOW / SOW
B team – GUSTAV JNR SMOOK / LIAM STEWART – LOW / ERK
U23
A team – SIYABONGA TYIKI / THANDO NGAMLANA – SOW / SOW
A team – TRISTAN TRICAN / MOSHE NGHOMANI – FLO / FLO
Senior
A team – GRANT AHLSCHLAGER / MICHAEL-JOHN ROBB – DAB / DAB
A team – PHINEAS ZULU / ZONELE NZUZA – SOW /SOW
Sub Vet
A team – DAVE HAMILTON-BROWN / WAYNE JACOBS – DAB / DAB
A team – Elton DU PREEZ /WILLEM LANDMAN – CEN / CEN
Veteran
B team – SHAUN MAPHANGA / DOUW KRUGER – FLO / FLO
B team – WIKUS LOOTS / colin turner – LOW /LOW
Sub Master
A team – MICHAEL STEWART / GUSTAV SMOOK – ERK /LOW
A team – JAMES GODDEN / LUKE SYMONS – DAB / DAB
B team – ANDREW HALL / BARRY PAINTING – DAB / DAB
B team – MALCOLM STOTHARD / PIETER ENGELBRECHT – DAB / ERK
C team – ANDREW COOPER / NICHOLAS WARREN – DAB / DAB
Sub Grandmaster
A team – JIM DAVIES / LLOYDE HANSON – DAB / DAB
Grandmaster
A team – GARY RALPH / GRAHAM HOLM – DAB / DAB
B team – KEITH BEESTON / JOHN ROWAN – JCC / ERK
C2.
A team – CALVIN MOKOTO / RADOSLAW OLSZEWSKI – ERK / ERK
Of course you’re not getting off that easily. It’s at this point that my wife would just sigh and roll her eyes…
Sometimes the big improvements in this wonderful sport come from unexpected places. It’s not the freakishly large deadlift you’ve just churned out, or the 100th trip down the same stretch of river. It is, quite often, in the quiet of your mind. It’s the determination to do things differently and to fix the mistakes – which we ALL have. Are you pulling through the air? Are you rotating too soon? Are you losing the front part of your stroke and not using your strength? Well – and am talking to paddlers who avoid flat water here – you probably are.
Make that change in your mind. Get on flat water as often as possible and tick the boxes in this extremely technical sport. Flat water paddling is your friend. Learn to enjoy it because it is, really really, enjoyable. It is the fastest, least expensive, most convenient way to improvement. Look at the names above and then look at the next Fish, Dusi, Drak, Umko etc results. You will be seeing the same paddlers appearing again and again. They are faster than you, stronger than you, start better than you, finish better than you, are technically more proficient than you, and can get in and out of a boat quicker than you. If you do not join in the flat water season next year – and there WILL be one because on that point I’m prepared to go to war – the revolution will begin without you.
But back to the marathon paddlers above. Congratulations, all, for sucking up winter. Best of luck in KZN. Have your best possible race and may your isiVaalie be fluent.
If you’re in contention for an SA team to Worlds, and are available for selection, remember to fill in the nomination form!!
BRUCE CLARK