The popular Tugela 20’s canoe river race that takes place over the Woman’s Day long weekend annually, hosted by the Rorkes Drift Canoe Club, was home to another achievement during 8 and 9 August 2015. The race provided an opportunity for a para-canoeist to test his river skills as a preparation race, for the upcoming Fish River Marathon which takes place in Cradock in October annually.

River canoeing requires a certain amount of proficiency and competency, and Constant Olivier who lives in Roodepoort and is a member of the Florida Lake Canoe Club, has passed all the basic requirements.

To participate in an A grade river race such as Fish or Dusi, a river paddler also requires a specific amount of mileage, and exposure on rivers with rapids which Olivier is currently working on – the two day Tugela river race, while an excellent race for new river canoeists with its mild and manageable rapids, does nevertheless have its challenges and provides an excellent testing ground to establish whether a partnership will work out together in a double canoe.

Olivier tried out the race in a K3 (three man canoe) with two Natal partners from Durban, the KZN Safety Officer Andrew Lake and his son Michael – both experienced river paddlers on the Dusi River valley. Their race together was highly successful and the total time for the 44km race that Constant participated in was 4 hours 14 minutes over the two days.

The stretch of the Tugela attracts numerous beginners and first time river paddlers looking for the requisite experience and points towards A grade status, from Gauteng and largely from the Natal area, including very young paddling teams representing local canoe schools such as Epworth Girls and Michaelhouse, as well as Kearnsey College. Visitors to the area enjoy the hospitality from the locals in the small towns, while drinking in the scenic beauty of the surrounding mountainscapes!