TRIBUTE
A Midmar Darling , Gone but
Never Forgotten
My Mum , Yvonne June Arbuthnot , met my Dad , Mike ‘ Buthy ’ Arbuthnot , when she was 17 years of age , at the Alexandra Swimming Pool in Pietermaritzburg . She was crowned Azalea Queen when she was 19 years old , having been crowned Princess the year before , and she undertook lots of charity work at this time . She was a beauty , both inside and out .
Being married to Midmar Mile co-founder and legend Buthy Arbuthnot , meant that Yvonne Arbuthnot was involved right from the first Midmar Mile in 1974 , working alongside and supporting her husband , and quietly becoming a much-loved legend of the event herself . Sadly , she passed away recently , aged 87 , still right by Buthy ’ s side , and her daughter , Tracy Arbuthnot Bax , pays tribute to her mother , and the tremendous role she played in the Midmar Mile and swimming in South Africa .
At age 21 , she married Buthy at St Peter ' s Church in Pietermaritzburg , and they went on to start a family . In those years she focused on being a mum to her four children , Grant , Ross , Tracy and Dale , and in supporting Buthy in his sporting endeavours , but she also ran three Bookworm Book Exchange bookshops , as she always had a love of reading .
Yvonne was a prolific crafter and spent her lifetime knitting , sewing , beading , painting or quilting . She did an intensive Zulu beading course and learnt how to make beautiful jewellery . She also did a course on ceramic restoration , going on to restore many broken pieces . She painted anything , from rocks to fabric , and often helped her granddaughter with school projects . She also loved gardening and found joy in tending to her plants . She was talented and gifted , and her hands were always busy .
Diving Right In
As I wrote , Yvonne loved supporting Buthy at all his swimming events around the country , whether an open water swim , a water polo game , a diving competition , or a normal swimming event . She was also well acquainted with the Duzi Canoe Marathon , where she became a regular second to both Buthy and Grant . She would often volunteer to help , so when he started the Midmar Mile in 1974 , she was hugely involved in helping on the administrative side of things .
Images : Courtesy Tracy Arbuthnot Bax
6 aQuellé Midmar Mile | Worlds Largest Open Water Swim