The epic radio DJ 400m Olympic-wannabe dash
THEY can run off their mouth on radio but can their feet do as well on a track? After Olympic gold medallist Wayde van Niekerk’s record-breaking 400m sprint last Sunday in 43.03 seconds, we put three radio breakfast show hosts up to the same challenge to see how they would fare. DJ Sqgemeza (Sipho Mbatha) of Ukhozi FM, Darren Maule of East Coast Radio and Kevin Minter-Brown of Durban Youth Radio (DYR) took it up. Fuelled with adrenalin, the three personalities raced around the Durban High School track with Minter-Brown taking first place at 1 minute 13 seconds, followed by DJ Sqgemeza who finished in 1.17 and Maule finishing in 1.47.
It might have not been the Olympics but the hosts said the race had taken them out of their comfort zones and were they looking forward to watching the finals and closing Olympics ceremony tonight.
“The thing I like the most about the Olympics,” said Minter-Brown, “is how we all become sudden experts on athletics, gymnastics, swimming. If you ask me about any of it any other time of the year, I have no idea, but during the Olympics it’s like, ‘oooh, he tucked in a bit early there, a little overspin on the dismount, he’ll regret that… an 8.4 at most’.”
“Then it’s the moment when Chad swims or Wayde’s heading into the starting blocks, when the nation gathers around the TV, and we’re all rooting for the same thing. It brings us together and that is priceless.”
DJ Sqgemeza said he was proud of what the SA team had accomplished. “They’ve done very well, we are very proud. Not only did we win medals but we broke a world record. History was made by a South African citizen, Wayde van Niekerk,” he said.
Maule said: “This is the best South African team we have ever sent, we had some nice surprises as well with nine medals so far which is good.
“We are a tiny country relative to the rest of the world and for us to represent so well when most of our athletes are amateurs, is outstanding.”