Johannesburg - Schools are not only a place of learning but also where young people can broaden their horizons and do things they never thought they would or could.
This is exactly what happened with this team of learners and teachers from Treverton College, situated in Mooi River, whose mixed team crossed the finish line first at the Expedition Africa 60km Regional Championship of the Clocolan Adventure Race.
And to make the win even more special is the fact that three of the four team members had never participated in adventure racing before or even thought it would be something they could do.
After watching an adventure racing video, the quartet was determined to enter the race, and the rest is history. The race was the 5/5 race of the Adventure Racing World Series – Africa Series, Regional Championship. Adventure Racing is a multi-sport concept combining mountain biking, running/trekking, kayaking and navigation.
Grade 11 pupil Kai Broom, a keen runner and cyclist, said while he loves adventure, their achievement came as a big surprise.
“We were really not expecting to do this well. It’s something I always wanted to do. I run daily, and I am one of the top trail runners and cyclists. We just decided to get together and do the race,” he said.
Broom, who added that his parents described him as “very disciplined” said he was able to still focus on his studies and prepare for the race, better than he expected.
“Luckily, the race happened before we started with exams. We are now in the middle of exams so the victory has been put far back in my mind. I am now focused on my schoolwork. The best was that the team and I were an inspiration to other students and have shown them that anything really is possible,” he beamed.
Educator Chanelle Oosthuizen said she was hooked the first time she ever heard of adventure racing, and it has been on her bucket list ever since.
“For me, to have completed an adventure race was incredible. I was looking forward to it, pushing myself to the limits, pushing through the pain. Cycling is not my strongest discipline, and the race started with it. I knew that Kai and Jarred were very fit and strong. Jarred was my pack horse and pulled me up those hills. I realised I was definitely the least unfit of the four of us, but it felt so good to work as a team,” she said.
The Treverton awesome foursome, in their debut adventure race, finished two hours ahead of the second-placed team and completed their first adventure racing experience in 8h40 minutes.
“The race was very gruelling. But everyone gets a turn to struggle. We really were a unit. The thing about adventure racing is either you love it or you never want to do it again. We are all outdoor people, and we really didn’t prepare much. We just did it. Kai and Jarred are quite special, and it really was a jol to be out there with them,” Oosthuizen said.
Fellow team member Jarred Van Alphen said the entire experience was “awesome” and that the outcome was “completely unexpected”.
“We cycled through hail storms. We had to traverse a cliff on a mountain bike. My job was to tow Miss Oosthuizen, which did take a toll on me,” he said with a chuckle. “But it was just an amazing experience.”
Van Alphen said he always stays fit, hits the gym regularly and cannot wait for the next adventure race.
“Kai and I might take part in a race in the Drakensberg in February next year. That one will be 120km. The last one we did was 60km. But for now, it’s exams, and I need to buckle down and work hard,” the Grade 11 learner said.
After their triumphant debut, the team is now hoping to enter a school team and even a staff team in the next race.