Clanwilliam obviously agrees with Nick Quenet . The 20-year-old Maties student has driven the 230-odd kays from Stellenbosch to the small northern Cape Town to participate in the Freshpak Fitness Festival triathlon the last four years , and every time he has come back with a podium position . In 2014 he finished fourth overall and first junior , then came home second overall in 2015 , while his older sister Alexandra won the women ’ s race that year . Last year he went one better and took the men ’ s title , which he successfully defended this year , coming out of the water first and maintaining his lead through the bike leg , then blitzing the run for a dominant win . However , he admits he didn ’ t expect to win , and really thought the chasing pack would catch him on the bike leg . “ Winning again was a surprise , because with my studies getting busier , I don ’ t have a huge amount of saddle training time available ,” he says . Currently in his second year at Stellenbosch University , studying towards a Bachelor of Accounting degree , Nick has made the decision to focus on his studies . When asked if he would consider putting his studies on the backburner , or even on hold , if offered a pro racing contract or more opportunities to compete overseas , Nick says that will have to wait . “ I have thought about that , but I ’ ll stick to my degree ! I ’ m definitely a numbers man and I don ’ t think one can operate in this country without a degree , so my aims are to get my degree and then do an Honours here at Maties , and then try to take triathlon to the next level .”
In fact , he already turned down an offer last year to race in Europe , but having just started his studies , says he couldn ’ t go . “ It was sad to turn the offer
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down , but while I ’ m studying , I ’ m biding my time and focusing on the individual aspects of triathlon , doing running and biking races , and swimming galas , so I ’ m stronger when I graduate . Then I hope to base myself in Europe in the hopes of getting a contract with one of the French teams and race the grand prix ’ s . I ’ ve put my mind to it to work for four years – after that I can do what I want , and hopefully by then the triathlon doors will be open .”
GREAT SPORTING GENES
Nick grew up in Worcester , where his family owns a pharmacy . Both he and Alexandra showed huge sporting talent in primary school , so when Nick was in Grade 8 , the family moved temporarily to Stellenbosch , so that the kids could benefit from the more established school sports structures on offer in the town . “ We lived here with my mom while we were in school , and my dad commuted regularly , but they are now both back in Worcester , while my sister and I still live here while we ’ re studying ,” says Nick .
While at school , Nick focused on competitive swimming , while Alexandra focused on running , but about three years ago they both changed to triathlon . That was no surprise , really , given that their father was an elite triathlete in his younger days , racing in France in the early 80s and only just missing out on the World Champs in 1986 after falling off his bike and breaking his collarbone . “ He later took up running , doing the Two Oceans Marathon , and is still doing trail runs , but these days it ’ s more about ticking things off his bucket list ,” says Nick . “ He really wants to go run the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in France .”
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Of course , Nick ’ s swimming ability often gives him an upper hand in triathlon events . “ I have the advantage of being able to lead from the start , and countless hours in the pool is now paying dividends , especially as there is so much technique involved in swimming . It ’ s an advantage not to have to learn how to swim , so I can just maintain my strongest discipline . I also did biathlon in school , so my running was already quite strong , but cycling was completely new to me . Still , I ’ ve achieved massive growth in a short space of time and am getting stronger , even though the training takes the longest , and I ’ ve also worked hard on my running this season . I did my first road running race at the Sanlam Cape Town 10km and clocked 31:40 . I am pleased with my time , but still want to go faster , because if you look at the results on the world triathlon circuit , I believe it all comes down to the run , with the fastest racers all winning the foot race .”
MAKING HIS NAME
While Nick is very understated about his success in triathlon , a quick look at his track record shows why he is already considered a star in the sport . In 2015 he
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Images : Oakpics and courtesy Nick Quenet |