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GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - This year’s 20th Outeniqua ‘Chair Challenge (OCC) was hosted on Saturday in the most glorious of George weather, with the colourful racing village at Carpe Diem School being the centre of activities on 23 and 24 February.
An official opening ceremony was held on the Friday night, and by 07:00 the next morning, the starting siren sounded for the 42km marathon. This was followed by the 21km half-marathon, a 10km race, and a fun event in which wheelchair users of all ages were pushed for the length of the 5km course.
Serious athletes competed in categories including paraplegic and quadriplegic, with subcategories catering for the type of chair used: ordinary wheelchairs, racing chairs, hand cycles, and basketball chairs.
Apart from lauding competitors in all divisions, organiser Alewijn Dippenaar paid special tribute to the 20 local businesses that rocked up to claim the ‘kaskar crown’.
In this event, which took place just before the start of the 5km fun race, each business was allocated its own boxcar to be powered by members of the team. Amid much hilarity, participating enterprises also scored great marketing mileage.
Dippenaar said this year’s OCC was characterised by three standout factors: respect, tolerance and collaboration.
“A high level of respect was the order of the day, be it between service providers and athletes or athletes and organisers. It allowed people to be what they are, and helped others to understand the challenges experienced by those confined to wheelchairs.”
Next in Dippenaar’s trio of factors comes tolerance, of which large doses are required for an event such as the OCC.
“We truly appreciate the tolerance displayed by the George community and business sector, taking road closures and access issues into account. More than just being tolerant, motorists also showed their appreciation by cheering on the athletes, allowing them to perform beyond expectations.”
Dippenaar said the same tolerance was demonstrated at the Carpe Diem race hub. “When it took a long time to offload a bus or a taxi, everyone jumped in to get the job done, rather than being impatient. Even when the 5km event was a little delayed to accommodate competitors who were still being offloaded from their bus, tolerance prevailed. The same can be said for when food was served and medals handed out.”
Finally, the collaboration between all involved was a joy to behold – product or cash sponsors, service providers, and all participants.
“The level of collaboration was clear as everyone worked together at the venue, even if they weren’t responsible for a specific task. Whenever there were hands needed, from marshalling to manning the mic, to moving chairs and tables for meals, the level of collaboration was simply outstanding,” said Dippenaar.
VIDEO - 20th Outeniqua Chair Challenge 2024: A highlight on the Garden Route sporting calendar:
Jeff Ayliffe filming Moleem Majony from Zimbabwe. Photo: Deidre Cloete
Among entrants across the board featured a vibrant mix of not only South Africans from every corner of the country, but also nationals from Ghana, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Notable was the small contingent of Ghanaians, representing the country of the famous Black Stars soccer team in their bright national colours.
Taking first and second place in the 42km racing cycle category were Accra-based star athletes Botsyo Nkegbe and Mclean Dzidzienyo.
SA’s youngest hand-cycle racer Zack Legward won the junior category 21km race in a time of 58:48; Zim racer lady Moleen ‘Molly’ Majoni took top honours in the 21km senior female class; Samantha Hendricks won the 10km paraplegic race in her basketball chair, while Peter Sampson clinched the male division at this distance in an excellent time of 48:59.
By now part of the OCC furniture is top hand-cyclist Stuart McCreadie, who shaved a dozen or so minutes off his 2023 time in the 42km paraplegic division (1:12:57).
He was followed by the day’s most senior competitor: Peter West, 67, who showed the back of his hand cycle to a multitude of younger athletes.
Another OCC insider, Shaun Butler – also chairman of the Disabled Road-race Foundation – won the overall prize in the 10km race in his hand cycle (55:01)
The 42km marathon quadriplegic class was again nabbed by Gauteng-based racing legend Pieter du Preez (01:52:23). Du Preez is not only famous for having won gold in the 2020 Paralympics in Japan, but also as the first quadriplegic on the planet to complete a full Ironman.
His repeat participation – complete with young family in tow – again lent a touch of sporting magic to this unique event in George.
Pieter du Preez, Paralympics gold medal winner, speaking at the prize-giving with OCC director Alewijn Dippenaar in the background.
The winner of the 10km female paraplegic category (ordinary chair) needs no introduction at all: the inimitable Martelize Brink of RSG-fame cut an hour off her 2023 time and says it had everything to do with the sunny climes and good health, compared to last year’s showers and being a bit under the weather around race day.
Brink has been serving as informal OCC ambassador since the mid-2010s, and again touched the hearts of everyone who had the pleasure of her company on Saturday.
When it comes to impressive attendees at OCC24, Martin Ferreira deserves a mention.
Having arrived with wife Chantal from their hometown of Pretoria earlier in the week to tackle the half-marathon, Ferreira contracted an ill-timed virus which forced him to abandon any plans of competing.
At the start/finish line to cheer on participants, the couple expressed their admiration for the race organisers and everyone responsible for ensuring the event’s continuation in a post-Covid world.
In his address during the lively closing ceremony, Alewijn Dippenaar thanked each participant and all volunteers who contributed to the success of OCC24 – the many marshals along the route, and dozens of hands helping to set up and knock down the venue, assist with registration, stock refreshment tables, or move athletes around.
Dippenaar also paid tribute to the sponsors of this year’s OCC, with George Municipality as premier partner and joined by Lancewood, Safari, the Premier’s Office, Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport, Eden Sports Council, Carpe Diem School and Algoa FM. Contact him at dyndev@mweb.co.za or on 082 457 5675 with queries, and check out the Outeniqua Chair Challenge Facebook page for full results and photos.
Ghanaian star Botsyo Nkegbe.
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