Ironman’s amazing KetshUp group break new ground

WE are two weeks away from the start of the Ironman African Championship and already the excitement in the city is palpable.

The Ironman flags on street poles are up, the billboards are standing proud and slowly the infrastructure is emerging from the grounds at Hobie Beach.

Soon, nearly 2 300 triathletes will rush into the waters of Algoa Bay to begin a journey of 226km.

This journey, which includes a 3.8km swim followed by a challenging 180km cycle and a daunting 42.2km run, will take the professional athletes about eight hours to complete, while the last age-group finish- er has 17 hours to claim that elusive medal.

Many triathletes like me started this adventure with the baby Ironman race, the Corporate Triathlon Challenge, back in 2012.

This 380m swim, 18km cycle and 4.2km run is probably one of the most popular and sought-after triathlon races.

The “Corporate”, as it is known, happens on the Saturday, the day before the big one. The distance is exactly 10% of the Ironman race but that is deceiving as one needs 120% effort to get through it, especially if you are a newbie.

Among them this year will be a group of black women going by the name KetshUp. This play on “catch up” aims to motivate women from all walks of life to acquire cycling and swimming skills to destroy stereotypes and bring diversity to the triathlon scene.

The KetshUp initiative was started by friends Rebecca Gatangi and Bianca Reichelt and motivated by the need to break stereotypes about African women and myths around riding a bicycle and swimming.

Since its humble beginnings two years ago the group has flourished, with multiple Corporate Triathlon, 5150 and Ironman 70.3 accomplishments.

Triathlon was never a popular sport in black neighbourhoods and female participation was almost non-existent.

In Europe, female participation at Ironman 70.3s is about 15 to 20%. In South Africa, that figure for all women is nearly 40% for Durban 70.3 and East London.

The challenge remains the participation of black women. Ironman globally started an initiative called “Women for Tri” and this too seems to be bearing fruit as many now have a chance to qualify for World Championships through this channel.

A few weeks back Ironman South Africa announced an additional 50 slots for women only for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in September.

These are welcome developments that will surely start to edge the participation of the most populous gender into this amazing sport of triathlon.

The KetshUp story really inspires women from all ages and all shapes to get involved in this sport.

A week ago, I had the opportunity to visit and follow some of these amazing women in training and I was amazed.

To some people this is ordinary and expected, but for most African women to climb on a bicycle and dive into the deep ocean is a big deal.

I have no doubt these pioneers will continue to grow and inspire and that maybe the champions of the future will emerge from their offspring.

All I know is that come Saturday, April 14, I will be on the sidelines at the Corporate Triathlon Challenge.

The fact that my wife is part of this setup makes it even more special, as I get to play cheerleader.