Sappi memorial race adventure
EMMARENTIA – Paddlers joined forces for the 23km Sappi race to honour the late Laetitia Scheepers, a paddler who lost her life seven years ago in an accident.
The Lowveld Canoe Club hosted the sixth successful Sappi 3338 Elands Memorial Race recently.
The race started from a farm near Machadadorp and ended 23km past the Sappi paper mills.
Local talented canoeist from Dabulamanzi Canoe Club based in Emmarentia were also on tow to race for a great cause.
The annual 23km Sappi race saw paddlers such as Kevin Middleton from the Emmarentia-based club racing to the finish line.
Middleton finished the fourth master age paddler category by recording a time of 2:02:00.
According to Gauteng Canoe Union spokesperson Jennie Dallas, “The race was done in memory of [a young woman] Laetitia Scheepers who lost her life seven years ago in an accident. It was first put on to the calendar six years ago… and a plaque has been erected in her memory.”
Dallas added, “The race is used for Dusi training as well as qualifying for start batches at Dusi.”
