With the world’s toughest endurance race coming up in February, numerous paddlers headed down to the Umsindusi River, between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, on November 30, to participate in a two-day river race.
The race was aimed at training and testing doubles partnerships and for paddlers to gain familiarity on the superb rapids of the awesome, fast flowing, downhill river.
Richard Cele, the youth development coach at Germiston’s Victoria Lake Canoe Club, partnered with Sandra Eardley, who set up the youth development programme at the club some years ago.
The partnership covered the 50 miles through rocky bends, channels and islands in five hours, 36 minutes, over the two days, to finish in 89th position overall, as the fifth male and female mixed doubles boat.
The club’s top finishers were Thomas Ngidi and Thembinkosi Ngcobo, both of whom originally hail from the Dusi Valley and relocated to Gauteng. They finished 30th in the K2 race, in under five hours.
Brighton Clark doubled up with Katiso Hlahatsi, to finish as the 20th u-23 partnership, in six hours, 30 minutes.
