SPORT NEWS - Dwayne Schrader doesn’t so much believe that you only live once; rather, his dictum is ‘live every day – you only die once’.
Learning about his background and the near-future project of this determined Mossel Bay dad shows he seizes every opportunity.
When Dwayne grew up in the Cape’s northern suburb of Durbanville, Melkbosstrand was the family’s go-to beach, and he could navigate a rubber duck long before mastering any of the diverse sporting disciplines he’s been practising since.
Rugby featured on Dwayne’s sporting agenda but having done time on the water with legendary dad Sakkie Schrader throughout his childhood, Dwayne was ready to tackle his first TAC aged 18 in 1999.
Over the next decade-plus, he proceeded to complete 12 races with aplomb, most often securing podium finishes.
But rubber-duck racing is an all-consuming affair and by his mid-30s, Dwayne’s focus had shifted to career and family matters. “I took a break from competing in the world’s toughest inflatable boat race 13 years ago, but through Dad’s close bond with the TAC, we were always involved, be it at the start or finish or stops along the way.”
Dwayne and his wife welcomed a baby boy into their lives on 19 August 2024. But the couple’s joy turned into concern when their newborn suffered a seizure three hours after seeing the light. Enter Mossel Bay-based paediatric geneticist Dr Bertram Henderson, who was instrumental in diagnosing Baby Schrader.
A close associate of Rare Diseases SA, Dr Henderson identified Smith-Magenis syndrome – a little-known developmental disorder caused by a chromosome deletion.
Their boy was transferred to Panorama Clinic in the Cape where the diagnosis was confirmed; after digesting this information, the Schraders sprang into action.
“Because Smith-Magenis is so rare, kids are often only diagnosed in their teens. We were lucky to have Dr Henderson at hand and, apart from getting our boy the best treatment available, we are on a mission to create awareness around this condition to ensure early diagnosis and support systems for other parents,” explains Dwayne.
It didn’t take much for his old boat-racing bug to resurface when working on this plan, so Dwayne contacted TAC organiser Stefan Lindeque. “I asked if we could use the Trans Agulhas as awareness platform, and Stefan’s immediate response was ‘Go!’ – so then it was time to start working on logistics.”
Dwayne roped in rookie partner Arno Moolman, 27 – a Mossel Bay-based biokineticist and fellow sports fanatic, but not quite what you’d call an ‘old salt’. “When I told Arno about the Trans Agulhas, he said ‘Oh, those little blow-up boats?’ He put his bum in an inflatable for the first time in February but has since taken to the water like a duck!”
Keen fellow cyclists, the pair now shifted their battleground to the surf and has been training every weekend, often covering 120-150km at a time in preparation for TAC25.
“Doing time on the water is key, and Arno is a fast learner. We also spend hours in the gym, since fitness and strength are essential during four days of intense racing.”
An apt test for their training, leading up to TAC25, was the Trans-Atlantic Boat Adventure (TABA) from 31 October to 2 November. Founded by Sakkie Schrader in ‘95, the event celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. As revealed by its title, this is not so much a race as an adventure, while also serving as fundraiser with excellent wines on auction.
When considering the mechanics of TAC participation, one’s craft is a crucial factor, with support crew a close second. Dwayne and Arno will race in a boat built by Rowan Hawkes of Aquarius Inflatables in East London and a Yamaha motor engineered by Tim Bosson of TBR Engineering in Cape Town; their land crew comprise Arno’s dad Arnoldus Moolman as team manager, along with the boaters’ better halves Bianca and Natasia.
After its Plett start, the Trans Agulhas Challenge has overnight stops in Mossel Bay, Stilbaai and Struisbaai before heading to The Strand finish line. “It’s essential to be ready on the beach at 07:00 for each race day’s 08:00 start. Logistics include transport and food, but our land crew is also in charge of the extra boat engine, petrol cans, gazebos and the like,” explains Dwayne.
He pays tribute to the local sponsors that have already signed up in support of his dual TAC cause: Group H Logistics, Meyer Towing, Durbanville Bakwerke and Elegant Fuel. Apart from these backers, a platform has also been created for the public to contribute to Dwayne’s awareness campaign. He hopes that funds collected will also enable a contribution to Dr Henderson.
“Ideally, we would like to raise R250,000 and we’ve created a BackaBuddy platform so people can sponsor us with, say, R10 for every kilometre completed during this year’s Challenge.”
He adds that bolstering the funds will not only help families in the same boat but also avail funds towards further research of Smith-Magenis Syndrome.
“Timing of the Trans Agulhas Challenge is just perfect: it’s a festive time for families to get together along the beautiful Southern Cape coast. We would like to finish the race safely, while gaining maximum exposure for our cause by raising awareness and funds. We’re gunning for the win!”
Click on www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/racing-for-rare-diseases-south-africa if you would like to contribute to Dwayne’s campaign.
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