Alberton family of seven swims Midmar

February 10 marked a momentous occasion for the Alberton family’s Team BTG (Beyers, Thomas, Goosen).

Jurie Beyers (76), his son, daughter and all four of his grandchildren completed the 2024 aQuellé Midmar Mile.

Jurie has lived in Alberton for over 44 years and regularly entertains the community with his antics.

General Albertspark knows him as the annual Santa Claus and pavement vegetable gardener.

The senior is also well-known for his house, marked with a sign that reads, “Drinks on the house, bring your own ladder”, accompanied by a table and chairs humorously perched on the roof.

“Over the years, he has cycled to Cape Town and Durban with his buddy, played club rugby, and ran the Comrades Marathon three times. He also undertook a three-day Vaal River canoe trip with his son and participated in various triathlons, cycle races and underwater rugby,” explained his daughter, Isabel Thomas.

The vigorous senior has also been on a microlight, sky-dived, bungee-jumped and scuba-dived. He lives by the adage, hat, “It is all in your mind; you can do more than you think is possible with the right mindset”.

“His adventures are too many to mention. His son, André, and his two children, Zanté and Ayden, have swum the Midmar with Jurie numerous times. Ruby, his other granddaughter, completed her second race on Saturday. My son, Luan, and I joined the experienced team for our first race this year,” Thomas said.

Zanté qualified as a swimming coach in 2023 when writing matric, while his other grandchildren attend Alberton High School, Hoërskool Marais Viljoen High School and Hoërskool Dinamika.

“When I crossed the finish line on Saturday and realised all seven of our family swimmers had completed the race successfully, I was overwhelmed with emotion and totally bursting with pride. This Midmar Mile was the most memorable achievement of all my lifetime escapades,” said senior Beyers.

Beyers’ love, dedication and mentorship are a true inspiration to everyone he knows.