Local paddlers take on the youth in 9 Miler race
The race took place in July and the conditions were not what paddlers expected from this.
Shaun Maphanga, who lives in Florida, and Douw Kruger, a resident of Krugersdorp, are both members of Florida Lake Canoe Club. They recently finished the Centurion 9 Miler flat water race at Rietvlei Dam in one hour, 29 minutes, to clinch the silver podium position in the veterans’ age category.
It was the young development youth from previously disadvantaged backgrounds who achieved the best results at the Centurion Canoe Club’s annual 9-Miler race, a distance of 18kms. The race took place on a beautiful dam, surrounded by a nature reserve, in absolutely perfect weather conditions with glorious sunshine and hardly a breath of wind, as Gauteng moves into Spring.
The race took place on Saturday, 28 July and the conditions were not what paddlers expected from this, a tail-end of winter race, where they generally huddle around a roaring fire before the event, and wear face protection against the strong winds, water spray and huge rolling waves across the dam.
The sponsors, Tyre Mart and Spar, provided the paddlers with face/ ear protection buffs, and served up delicious boerewors rolls after the race to warm them up, even though they were hardly needed, given the glorious day.
The winners of this doubles (K2) event were the U/18 Sowetan crew, consisting of Sibusiso Chwayi and Zanenthlantla Mbala, who received everything they needed for this race from their sponsors and train at Emmarentia Dam. They finished in a time of one hour and 22 minutes, with the Master Centurion-based paddlers, the traditional winners of the event, finishing a split second later in a very close finish.
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