Ma
Living Legend
Keeper of the
HISTORY
Dewald ( right ) with legends Fanie Van Zijl , Ewald Bonzet , Dirk Muller and Stewart Banner
The current generation of South African track and field athletes is setting the world stage alight , but South African athletics has actually been blessed with many great athletes and achievements throughout its history . This includes gold medallists in the early Olympic Games of the 20 th century , and various World Records or Bests by ‘ greats ’ that have long since disappeared into the realms of time , but thanks to Dewald Steyn , their legacy lives on . – BY SEAN FALCONER
D ewald ’ s detailed five-volume History of South African Cross-Country , Middle and Long-Distance Running and Walking , covers the full spectrum of the sport from 1894 to 2014 , featuring an absolute treasure trove of stories , results , stats and photographs . The well-known athletics author says the project was born in 2013 when he realised that it would be a tragedy if the history of SA ’ s cross-country and distance running was lost to the current and future generations . “ I knew that the only way was to actively engage in research and document it ,” says the 74-year-old author and statistician .
“ It is really important to preserve the history of our sport , because there are current athletes who don ’ t even know who legends like Fanie van Zyl or De Villiers Lamprecht are . Van Zyl was almost unbeatable in his time , was an amazing strategist and one of the best middle-distance athletes this country has ever seen .”
Furthermore , he decided to do more than just consult the available records and statistics in publications and media archives , but also to speak to as many of the living legends of South African athletics as he could , to get the best stories and photos . “ It took four years to complete this set of volumes and a lot of research was put into this . I also spoke to a vast number of athletes , and this opened up a whole new world of information . Most of them had scrapbooks and memorabilia documenting their individual achievements , and those not only served as a wonderful source of information , but also led to further interviews and interesting anecdotes , all of which have been captured in the books . Some of the athletes also generously donated their scrapbooks to be preserved , and I ’ m still looking for the right place to house these valuable documents .”
Passion for Athletics
Born in 1943 in Sabie , Dewald later studied botany at the universities of Potchefstroom and Pretoria , and his career included posts as a teacher , researcher , lecturer and even Deputy Director at Department of Water Affairs . However , his unquenchable passion for athletics is what defines him . That was born out of being inspired by a speech in Potchefstroom in April 1964 by coach Arthur Lydiard , who was touring South Africa with Olympic gold medallist Peter Snell of New Zealand .
“ The very next day after hearing the great man speak , I resigned as secretary of the Potchefstroom University Rugby Club and first team scrumhalf to become a long
distance athlete ,” he recalls . It didn ’ t take long for him to make his mark : In 1966 he finished second to De Villiers Lamprecht , South Africa ’ s first sub-four minute miler , at the South African Universities Cross-Country Championships , and he went on to represent South Africa in cross country against Rhodesia in 1967 .
Dewald may also hold the record of the athlete that has represented the most provinces during his long career : He received provincial colours from no less than five provinces , namely Western Transvaal ( 1964-1966 ), Border ( 1967 ), Southern Transvaal ( 1968 ), Orange Free State ( 1969-1971 ) and Northern Transvaal ( 1972- 1988 ), in track and field , cross country and road running . He also earned national colours by being selected for various South African Universities teams , competed in more than 70 South African Championship races , and won the Hardy Ballington Trophy as the first novice to finish the Comrades Marathon in 1975 , when he finished 16th in 6:26 . He went on to run the Comrades 10 times and earn Green Number 1940 , with a best time of 6:25 .
Early in his running career , Dewald also became involved in the administrative side of the sport . He served as a provincial secretary , later as a selector and race referee , and excelled as organiser of big meetings , including putting on both the South African Cross-Country Championships and the South African University Cross-Country
Team SA to tour Rhodesia in 1967
Images : Courtesy Dewald Steyn
28 ISSUE 97 AUGUST 2017 / www . modernathlete . co . za