Ebenezer Mile a huge success
The Haenertsburg Rotary Club successfully hosted the annual Ebenezer Mile, with swimmers from across Limpopo braving the cold and rainy conditions to take part.
TZANEEN – Despite cold and rainy conditions, tens of swimmers turned out for the annual Ebenezer Mile at Ebenezer Dam in Magoebaskloof.
The event, organised by the Haenertsburg Rotary Club and hosted on Saturday, March 14, continues to attract participants from across the province.
Swartz shines in 3 000m open swim
Jean-Marie Swartz, a learner at Tom Naudé Technical High School in Polokwane, delivered an outstanding performance in the 3 000m open swim.
She outpaced all 31 competitors to take first place in a time of 51:53, setting a pace of 17:17 minutes per kilometre. Oliver Oberholzer finished second in 55:58 (18:39 min/km), followed by Lesley Primmer in third place with a time of 57:36 (19:12 min/km).
Coetser, Varrie claim mile victories
In the women’s mile (u/14 and over 30), Alice Coetser claimed victory in 29:37 (18:30 min/km). Lara Wantenaar placed second in 30:01 (18:46 min/km), while Karen Brooks secured third in 30:31 (19:04 min/km).
In the men’s mile (u/14 and over 30), Timothy Varrie took first place, finishing in 27:40 (17:17 min/km). Hendus Janse van Rensburg followed in second position with a time of 28:08 (17:35 min/km), and Marc Conchar finished third in 29:02 (18:09 min/km).
Young stars impress in open category
The one-mile open category (ages 14–30) was won by Jaden Maritz in 24:04 (15:02 min/km).
Swartz continued her strong showing by finishing second in 25:19 (15:49 min/km), while Jason Kok took third place in 27:04 (16:55 min/km).
Varrie told the Herald that he enjoyed the race despite the challenging weather.
“The atmosphere at the Ebenezer Mile is always fun. Before the race, I told myself to enjoy it, and a podium finish would be a bonus,” he said.
Swartz said she was proud of her performance.
“I’m very proud of myself and the hard work I’ve put in. It’s rewarding to see the results. I want to keep improving and continue finishing on the podium, as I’ve done consistently over the past few years,” she said.
Rotary Club hails successful turnout
Heather Gore of the Haenertsburg Rotary Club expressed satisfaction with the turnout.
“We are very happy with the attendance despite the weather. Many people came out to support the swimmers. We are truly grateful to everyone who participated and to our sponsors for making this event possible,” she said.
