Epic 920km trip ends on Durban beach
DEAF sportsman and Olympic medallist Terence Parkin has Blue Lagoon in his sights at the end of a 920km journey from Gauteng to Durban that has seen him traversing the highlands of Lesotho and swimming the Midmar Mile.
He has been on a series of cycling, swimming, running and canoe missions to raise funds for disabled children for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa which supports children with disabilities.
After completing the Midmar Mile, Parkin, 37, spent two days training for canoeing as well as getting to know his Dusi partner, veteran canoeist Mark Mulder.
“We hadn’t met before so we are both using these two days to practise a bit and get to know each other’s styles,” he said before the race.
“Mark is a seasoned Dusi paddler so I am confident he will guide us through the challenge. I do worry about the low water level as this means more running with the boat.”
During the cycling leg of his odyssey in Lesotho, on the Roof of Africa where the altitude at one point is 3 225m, Parkin found himself on tarred roads, on sand and potholes.
“The last 15km was the toughest as the inclines were incredibly steep. I battled to get the bike going but just didn’t give up. My support team encouraged me and got out of the vehicle to run alongside me. A few local kids here and there joined me for some time and ran alongside the bike.”
Parkin was initially going to do the whole event on a mountain bike. “My wife appealed on Facebook for a road bike and fortunately someone who knew my family came and dropped off a super road bike at our house. This was a real bonus as a road bike is much faster and lighter and better suited to the tar roads.
“Both bikes managed the whole journey very well.”
The Midmar Mile was next. His 25th.
“To have come so far and to then win in the deaf category and my age group category, 31 to 40, was absolutely stunning. Not something I expected.”
“A highlight of Midmar was to have Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa CEO Ryk Neethling pop in as a surprise to support me. It was incredibly motivating and a very pleasant surprise.”
Then came the running, from Midmar to Pietermaritzburg. “The run was mostly downhill which is much harder than a steady incline or flat. It’s taxing on the toes and knees.
“When I arrived at the start of the Dusi, my legs refused to bend for a while so I had to stand without moving and slowly got them to bend.”
The Dusi Canoe Marathon will finish today.
AT THE end of Day One, with only two major portages ahead of them, the “Dream Team” of Andy Birkett and Hank McGregor must have been fancying a bit of a jaunt down the Dusi River on Day Two yesterday with a two-minute lead to kick things off with.
Things did not go according to plan though for the overnight leaders. Confident with their ability in the boat, the pair knew that only a mishap could cost them the lead, and a mishap, or two, or three, they had.
But, to their immense credit, despite a bent rudder, McGregor attempting to abseil down Nqumeni, a swim, and a charging pack, the pair ended day two where they finished – in the lead.
“Still a lot of fun,” said McGregor, summing up their day yesterday. “Could be disappointed, but we are in the same position, just that we are now two seconds ahead, not two minutes.”
The top four after Day One set off on an elapsed time start from Dusi Bridge which saw McGregor and Birkett heading off two minutes ahead of Sbonelo Khwela and Siseko Ntondini, followed by Carl Folscher and Adrian Boros with Ant Stott and Banetsi Nkoesa moving to fourth with the withdrawal of the Houston brothers.
But, drama soon struck as the leading boat ended up looking back at a bent rudder, and as McGregor explained: “It was looking straight back at us.”
The pair decided at Confluence to change the rudder after struggling to bend it back and straight.
With their seconds shoulder deep in the water, they sat dead still, watching as their lead leaked away; three boats passing by.
“In year’s gone by I’ve always wanted to see Andy stranded on the banks, and it finally happened, but it was the wrong year!” McGregor exclaimed.
The pair were now in fourth, and instead of being two minutes ahead, they were two and a half minutes back.
The drama didn’t end there either as they breached the top of Nqumeni, and bolted down the steep bank back towards the river, Birkett had a moment where his partner went missing.
“Suddenly the boat was swaying at the back and I looked around and was like, ‘Where’s Hank?’ Then he emerged at the bottom of the hill apologising, saying he had just gone abseiling.”
McGregor, sporting a cut on his cheek, explained how, heading down Mine Shaft, the steepest route, he took a step into fresh air and suddenly was free falling – abseiling without equipment.
Still despite the setback, the pair knew that, as the number one and two flat water marathon paddlers in the world, they could probably make a go of it on the 12km into Inanda Dam. Indeed, the “Dream Team” boat put the hammer down and managed their quickest kilometre at 4:07 in their chase of the leading three boats.
They managed to catch them on the dam, and eased off to ride the wake until they sprinted for the line and a second stage win.
Day Three, the final day today, is now fantastically poised as four boats will head towards Blue Lagoon with the hopes of claiming a massive title.
The women’s dash to Blue Lagoon is increasingly looking like a battle between the Peek sisters and the power of Bridgitte Hartley and Christie Mackenzie.
At day’s end, Cana and Jordan Peek had a lead of just under five minutes, which will be crucial on the final day, with lower water and the notorious Burma Road portage awaiting both boats.
“It is all a bit new for us. I have never experienced being in the lead before, and having this pressure and expectation going into the final day,” Cana said of their feats thus far.
“I never thought I would be leading after day two,” said her sister Jordan, both of them looking remarkably calm after a long, final stretch on the dam.
“I think by the time we hit the water, I was too exhausted to even look back for Bridgitte and Christie,” Jordan sighed.
They hit the water with a near eight-minute cushion, and they were well pleased that they have managed to keep five minutes, despite the paddling prowess behind them.
“If we can hold on to the end, it would make all the hard work of the last few months so worth it,” Cana smiled. And, importantly, the siblings are still getting along, despite a few hiccups on the water – which is par for the course, they said.
“Getting along? I don’t know if we ever have,” Cana quipped, before reiterating that it was special to be at such an elevated position with her sister.
Lurking behind them, and still eager to spoil the party, Hartley and Mackenzie had their own issues on day two.
Running down Nqumeni, Hartley decided to take a quicker line, only to find the Mine Shaft that had seen Hank McGregor go “abseiling” an hour before them.
“Christie trusted my line, but I forgot how steep it was,” she said of their sudden slide down the sharp decline.
“I just shouted haunches, and the next thing we were sliding on our feet and bums.”
The net result was a pair of torn tights at the rear, which left them slightly red-faced for the rest of their run and at the finish line. But, despite that mishap, they are still very optimistic about stealing in for victory today.
“There is still a long way to go. Day Three is equal parts running and flat water, so that is pleasing. We just have to cut down on our mistakes, because we are still feeling strong. It is a long way to Durban,” the experienced Hartley warned.
Burma Road awaits, and that may well be decisive.
The boat that emerges from the treacherous climb better will surely be favoured to hit Durban first, and clinch what has been the most interesting of duels.
Should either of them slip up, Jenna Ward and the powerful Vanna Kiszli will be waiting to pounce from third place.