Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 99, October 2017 | Page 31

going to win with about a kay to go! Another event
on Durban Beach stands out. As usual I was behind
in the swim, but then I caught a monster wave that
brought me in. I didn’t know I was in the lead, and in
transition I still asked my dad how far I was behind
the leaders! I can’t remember if I won that race, but
remember having to think what to do, as normally I
had to chase.”
Donovan wins the
TriRock Triathlon
in Durban with
daughter Audrey
as company in
the home
straight
NOT QUITE DONE YET
Pretoria instead, where all the top sportsmen in the
army went. “Who knows where I would be today if
not for Dave, because I would not have been able to
train for triathlon in Phalaborwa! I did my six months
of Basics in Pretoria, plus training as a medic, and
then I was posted back to Durban and stationed in the
sick bay in the naval base. For the rest of my national
service I was basically a professional athlete, with a
flexible schedule that allowed me time for training
and racing. The Army was therefore not a hardship
for me.”
SUCCESSFUL CAREER
Back in civilian life, Donovan studied through UNISA
to become a journalist, and still harbours dreams of
writing novels some day, but it was in multisport that
he made a name for himself. He won various national
titles in triathlon and duathlon, and was in the first SA
duathlon team to compete in the World Championships
in the USA in 1991, but says he doesn’t remember
his racing history accurately because he never really
kept track. “I’m actually annoyed with myself for not
keeping