Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
‘Superman’wagner to tackle ‘Oceans’
an overseas holiday in Europe, which was booked at the time Wagner had expected to be in Antarctica.
“The night before we were both due to fly to Johannesburg at the start of our respective trips, I heard it was off,” Wagner explained. “Melindie flew off and I stayed behind!”
Bailey, Wagner’s running companion, is another who is central to his fulfilling his adventure lust while his cycling companion, Gerrie Olivier, with whom he rode the Epic in 2011 and this year’s Argus, where they won the blind category in 3:25, is another.
Wagner’s responses are at times surprising, underlining his determination not to allow his disability to impact on his chosen lifestyle.
He says he has climbed Table COMPLETING several full Iron Man competitions, finishing the gruelling Cape Epic mountain bike race, participating in the Cape-to-Rio yacht race, setting world land speed records and being part way through an ambitious goal to race seven marathons on seven continents, including Antarctica, is an impressive adventure CV .
That this “bucket list” of accomplishments is credited to 40-year-old Hein Wagner, blind from birth with a disease known as Lieber Congenital Amaurosis, is truly astounding.
But Wagner is no ordinary adventurer. He is so much more than even his blog by- line of “global adventurer, motivational speaker, corporate entertainer and lover of life”.
And he has a date with destiny in two weeks’ time, the Two Oceans Marathon.
The Oceans will be his first specialist ultra- marathon and marks the third in his seven- part marathon series on all continents.
It would have been his fourth, but plans to compete in the Antarctic Marathon two weeks ago were thwarted by technical problems in the vessel to transport them on to the ice.
Wagner has already competed in the New York and Hong Kong marathons and has plans to tackle the Great Wall of China Marathon (with 7 000 steps!), the Inca Trail Marathon in Peru, the London or Berlin Marathon and the Australian Outback Marathon, predictably (with the exception of the Europe- based marathons) opting for challenging and scenic marathons rather than fast, flat (easy) courses.
“I am really looking forward to the Oceans, however I am in need of a running partner.
“Mike Bailey, who I am running with in the continents challenge, has just undergone a knee-operation and can no longer take part.
“I have the possibility of running with someone who is aiming to better five hours. But with Iron Man coming up just two weeks after Oceans, it would be counter-productive to push myself at that speed.
“I’m looking to run around 5 hrs 30 – 45 min and if there is anyone out there who would like to partner me, please let me know.
“The Oceans is full of hidden perils,” reflected Wagner.
“The cats’ eyes on Chappies are bad enough for sighted runners, and I have fallen victim to them on several occasions.
“But the Oceans is a great event and I’m looking forward to experiencing the legendary atmosphere.”
Wagner grew up in a sport- mad family and was determined not to let his disability prevent him from participating himself. He found swimming, running and biking came naturally to him and he was always involved on the sports field at his boarding school – the Worcester School for the Blind, where he was sent at the age of five.
He took part in blind cricket and represented South Africa at the first World Cup for Blind Cricketers in India in 1998.
SA won the tournament, succeeding where their sighted cricket Protea counterparts have failed.
Wagner has exceptional abilities and clearly enjoys being “independent”, partly due to his mastery of the latest technological devices.
His wrist watch “talks the time” to him and he receives and sends e-mails and SMSes with a confidence and efficiency as good as any other.
Wagner worked for several years in the IT industry, following his initial employment as a switchboard operator for the Blaauwberg Municipality, ending up working for Mark Shuttle-
‘The cats’ eyes on Chappies are bad enough for sighted runners, and I have fallen victim to them on several occasions in training’
worth’s former company and managing a team of 15 sighted employees in the internet security business.
But there are key people in Wagner’s life, supporting him in certain essential life elements.
His wife Melindie, who far prefers a quiet moment with a book than sitting on a bicycle, is central to his life.
Even though Wagner boasts a world land speed record (for blind drivers) of 322.52km/h, he relies on his partner for transport in the city.
And he admits that without her care – and that of his team – in supporting him during the Epic, he would not have been able to complete the race on a tandem.
But he managed without her for two weeks recently when she enjoyed Mountain along many routes in order to “see it” from different vantage points.
He reflects that he ran the New York Marathon slowly in order to take in all the sights and sounds of the event and talks in some detail about the communities he passed along the way through the seven boroughs.
Perhaps the most important reflection was his answer to what he thought was his biggest life adventure.
“I consider my acceptance of my blindness as my biggest adventure,” admitted Wagner.
This strong life message in overcoming adversity, which Wagner brings to many as a professional motivational speaker, comes from a blind man with exceptional vision.