Germiston High rowers propel to greater lengths
U-16 rowers from Germiston High School tick off the South African Schools Rowing Union (SASRU) development tour from their bucket lists in rowing.
Three learners from Germiston High School were recently selected to join the South African Schools Rowing Union (SASRU) Development Squad, in touring the United Kingdom, along with other junior rowers from schools across South Africa.
The SASRU development tour ran from May 1 to 13.
Annually SASRU picks the best performing u-16 rowers at the South African School Rowing Championships to compete in the Wallingford and Bedford Regattas in the UK.
These regattas are right at the beginning of the rowing season in the UK.
This year, Thubelihle Mafikela (Grade 11), Kelebogile Dibakoane (Grade 11) and Mpho Lebina (Grade 10) represented SA in a series of races which tested their endurance and physical capabilities in rowing.
“At the start of the season, in August last year, I told my coach, Lebohang Mashigo, that I was taking him to the UK.
“He told me to go home and think about my words, the following day, and the rest of the season, I never mentioned my goal again, I just showed him my determination through my dedication in practice sessions and how I challenged myself physically, to perform at my best,” said Lebina.
“Fast forward to today, and I was part of a team which was ranked second overall at the Bedford Regatta.”
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Dibakoane and Mafikela had a different experience to Lebina.
According to the girls, their main focus was to commit to outperforming themselves in every race.
When they received the invitation for the UK tour, they were in disbelief because they had not thought that far.
“I was not even sure what I was getting into when I signed up for rowing, and there I was receiving news that I was invited to join SASRU in the UK,” said Dibakoane.
“When coach Mosa Leballo told us the news, we could not wait to tell our parents, we later found out they had already been informed, it was exciting.
“It just goes to show how much commitment and dedication can get you.”
In the UK, the SASRU team competed in their first races, on May 5, in London, at the Wallingford Regatta.
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The girls’ team qualified for the A final cox eight race, after clinching second place in their first heat.
They came in third in the final.
“We learnt some harsh lessons in our last race of the day, I must say,” Mafikela joked.
“We took part in the cox four challenge against our seniors.
“We lost, terribly, but it was a great lesson to find out how far we could push our bodies and work together as a team.”
According to Lebina, the Bedford Regatta, which was held on May 11, is the most important knock-out regatta.
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“We raced in the coxless quad heat on May 11, qualified for the semi-finals and proceeded to the finals where we lost.
“Everyone gave their best and more than anything we were like a family, working together in each race,” Lebina said.
All three rowers attribute their current success in the sport to the discipline enforced by their coaches.
“You learn time management, respect, determination and how to honour those around you in rowing, and those are great life lessons to live by,” said Mafikela.
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