The local team called ‘Team K4’ comprising of Walt Katzke, Zelda Katzke, Erika Mac Connel and Nyiko Masango participated in the event. The event began on Sunday, April 3 until Saturday, April 9 in Lesotho, where the teams had to complete a 500km race. Adventure racing is a multi-disciplinary endurance sport where competitors compete in teams, navigating from control point to control point in a number of disciplines. Disciplines included horse riding, mountain biking, trekking, kayaking and orienteering. Orienteering is an important part of the race since teams are required to navigate using maps.

Teams had to carry all compulsory equipment such as raincoats, warm clothes, whistles, torches and food for each discipline. According to Masango, this has been one of his greatest achievements of his life. “This is a tough race and the training is also tough. It is more mental than physical,” he said. “There were times where we wanted to give up, but we somehow managed to pull through. Sleep was minimal and in five and half days we only had nine hours of sleep. “When your body does not get enough sleep, it wants to give up,” he said.

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In March Team K4, participated in a similar race of 150 km, to prepare themselves for the Lesotho event. Walt Katzke, captain of Team K4, said he is extremely proud of his team for hanging in there when it was tough. When asked why would someone want to put their body under such a tough challenge, he said, “it is something someone does for him or herself and not to themselves”, he explained. “You don’t do it because you will win prize money,” says Katzke.

He told the Herald that it has been the most challenging thing he had ever done. “I will utter Nelson Mandela’s famous quote, that ‘something seems impossible until is done’. When you finish the race, you understand that you can do anything you put your mind to,” he added. They finished the race on Friday, April 8 at 16:00. The top three winners were Team Estonia Ace Adventure (Estonia), Team 400 Naturex (France) and Team Nordisk (Denmark) respectively.