Teen on the brink of global success
Sixteen-year-old Zandri Strydom has achieved the near-impossible by being one of only a handful mountain biking girls from South Africa to be selected to take part in the XC World Champs in Switzerland in September.
This pupil of Hoërskool Rob Ferreira, was chosen by the SA Cycling committee based on her performance over the past year. Despite only discovering mountain biking three years ago, she has consistently finished tops in South Africa’s biggest races and claiming South African National Mountain Biking Championship titles in 2016 and 2017.
“It all happened by chance,” said Zandri.
“We went camping in 2015 and I was fooling around on a bike when someone approached my mom and told her I had a natural skill. I started entering local races and it took off from there. It’s just such an amazing feeling being on your bike in nature – I can’t describe it.”
Her selection for the XC World Champs has been a bittersweet moment, as the family have to raise funds to make this dream a reality.
The costs of attending are quite exorbitant as they have to cover everything from flights and accommodation to the entry fees for the race.
A golf day to raise funds has been arranged for August 17 at White River Country Club.
A fund-raiser picnic is also taking place on July 29 at the Nutty Farm. Entrance fee is R100 per person.
There will be live music and guests can bring their own picnic baskets.
