First Johardt van Heerden and now Walter Thornhill – somehow Lowvelders manage to continue to rewrite the record books.

Also read: Nuwe Otter SA-rekordhouer ‘n Laevelder
Not long after Van Heerden became the fastest South African ever to finish the Otter-Classic, Thornhill, a local cyclist and author of Eye of the Child, broke three SA track cycling records during the World Master Track Cycling Championship in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Thornhill, who has been living in the Lowveld these past few years, said two weeks before returning to the Lowveld in June, to defend and hopefully improve on our previous year’s podium position achieved in the Panorama Tour with his cycling partner Nico Swanepoel, he had an unfortunate accident while training in Scotland.

“Riding the Coast to Castles – some 165 kilometres per day – I, alas, crashed, dislocated and broke my collarbone,” he said. “Recuperating in London and feasting on the entire Game of Thrones, it dawned on me that the World Master Track Cycling Championship was returning to England from Los Angeles and that perhaps I should endeavour to convert my previous road fitness from the gruelling Mbombela and surrounds to track speed and agility. Why not give it a shot, I thought, remembering that it was 13 years prior that I had been on a track, and previous to that some 30 years.

“So, six weeks after the fall, I slowly started riding on an indoor trainer, then set my sights further – the bigger Herne Hill outdoor track, and finally, the indoor Olympic Stadium in London with its steep 42 degree banking. Initially daunting and kindergarten learning of new techniques, bigger gears used and perfecting the standing start out of time trial gates,” he said.

Although no podium finish, he was absolutely delighted with his three new South African records set in the 200 flying Sprint (12,987 seconds), the 500-metre Time Trial (38,735 seconds) and the two-kilometre Individual Pursuit (two minutes 43,805 seconds), particularly as he was struggling with a viral attack of sorts during the championships.

The latter race, his least favourite, last ridden some 45 years ago, was particularly satisfying for him as he carved nearly six seconds from the previous record. “My simple idea was to deduct two seconds from the previous record as my target, to allow myself two seconds more for the first lap because of the standing start, while the remaining seven laps of the 250 metres per lap would have equal time.

My son, Stefan, would be my informal coach and would use the hand gestures Gary Mandy, who set two new world records at these championships, an Australian citizen but formerly South African taught us to indicate whether I was up or down. Everything was being done on the hoof. Halfway through, for a split second, I was ready to give up as the lactic acid build up hit home.

Digging deep within, I persisted and rolled home to smiles and jubilations. Beware next year – the podium is in sight,” Thornhill concluded.