Tzaneen athlete conquers brutal Mossel Bay Ironman

TZANEEN – Tzaneen athlete and well-known dentist, Ruan Rademeyer, completed what many competitors have described as one of the toughest Isuzu Ironman 70.3 Mossel Bay races to date this past weekend.

The triathlon consisted of a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike race, and a 21.1km run.

Rademeyer said the conditions were exceptionally challenging, particularly during the swim leg. Two athletes were retrieved from the sea during the swimming leg and passed away shortly afterwards.

“The sea was incredibly rough. No one really knows what happened to the two men, but many believe these were some of the worst conditions Mossel Bay has ever had,” he said.

According to Rademeyer, the difficult weather extended far beyond the water.

“The wind was very strong. In the first half of the bike course, we had a headwind and crosswinds, and by the time we turned around, the wind had changed again, so we were riding back into the wind as well. There was even rain on the bike course. Most athletes rode much slower than they had planned because of the conditions.”

Despite the harsh elements, Rademeyer said his preparation paid off on the final leg. “My conditioning on the run helped me finish strong. That part of my race went really well.”

Rademeyer finished 23rd overall and third in the men’s 40-44 age category, an impressive ranking given the severity of the conditions.

He began his triathlon journey in 2019 when he completed his first half Ironman. “I have done quite a few races since then, but in October last year, I stopped training completely due to family commitments. I only started training again in June specifically for this race, so it was four to five months of preparation,” he said.