Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 67, February 2015 | Seite 42

Dreaming
Ma dare to tri

BIG

2015!
in

Before this year’s Ironman 70.3 at the end of January, we asked our Dare to
Tri athletes about their greatest accomplishments since starting Coach Derick’s
programme last year, and about looking forward to still more goals in 2015.

RUSSELL CRAWFORD:
“I come from a competitive
running background – 21
Comrades Marathons,
represented SA at World
100km Championships in
Holland, France, Japan and
Russia, plus two London-toBrighton runner-up spots. Then
I felt that I wanted to take on
a new challenge and had always
been interested in triathlon and
involved on the seconding side over
the years. I took the plunge and entered
Ironman SA, as I was not able to get an
entry for 70.3. I know this is a huge ask of a
novice, but my endurance background has really
assisted me in getting to grips with it.
The swim was the obvious initial challenge, as I had no swim
experience at all. I’ve come a long way since then, but have a long way to go. I’m really
enjoying the change and still get to run with my running partner daily. My goal is to get
myself into the best physical condition I can so that I can really enjoy race day. There
is work to do, but I’m looking forward to every moment. And with expert input and
guidance from Derick and DTT, and so many of my friends who have been down this
road, I feel that I’m heading in the right direction. What a difference a year makes!

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ISSUE 67 FEBRUARY 2015 / www.modernathlete.co.za

KOBUS VORSTER: I am so thankful for Dare to Tri. I stuck to
training over Christmas and I am ready for 70.3. Last year
Derrick suggested not to go on and do Full Ironman
and now, a year later, I understand why. I have
so much more experience and confidence,
because in the last year, all three disciplines
have improved. I am doing Full Ironman
in 2015 and my aim is just to finish
the race and know that I am an
Ironman!

ANDRE JONKER: I
joined DTT and battled
with swimming, so I did a
swimming course with Total
Immersion. This helped a
great deal, but I still lacked
the confidence to do an open
water swim. The majority of
the sessions booked rained
out, and the one occasion that I
did manage to swim in the open
water in Benoni, I was scared of the
water and froze, so I just swam 100m
out and back repeatedly. Then I grabbed
the opportunity to swim with the DTT group
at Germiston at the beginning of January. We
went into the water and I started swimming and before
I knew it, I was halfway. I was overwhelmed with joy! I had
overcome my fear before 70.3. I believed in myself, and all the training I did in the
pool came together. My message to anyone struggling with swimming in the open
water is to believe in yourself, train and be consistent.

Images: Courtesy Dare To Tri Athletes

WIEHANN JOUBERT: I started my triathlon ‘career’ last
year January after being inspired by some friends who
completed the 70.3 in East London for the first
time. It’s been great so far and I’m now in the
final stretch of my 12-month plan, starting
from no exercise to doing 13 hours
a week, whereby I will compete in
my first 70.3. But I will not stop
after this event – I’ve become
addicted! – and have already
registered for the 70.3 TriRock
Cradle this month, and will
continue training with DTT
until end of March. Maybe
2016 will be my first year
of full Ironman, because
I’m definitely hooked!