Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 99, October 2017 | Page 33

DARE TO TRI
Ma
Hand in Hand
Ironman couple Rodney and Melanie Nel finished the Ironman hand in hand on the
red carpet in 2017, having only done their first triathlon a few months earlier, once again
showing that the Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI Programme will get you to the finish line.
– BY DTT COACH DERICK MARCISZ
training, we competed separately in
races – each to our own abilities,” says
Melanie.
T
he Nel couple joined DTT in July 2016
and did their first triathlon at the 5150
Bela Bela, then went on to do 70.3
East London earlier this year. “We consistently
followed the DTT programme and participated in
several triathlon events throughout the season.
Although we always stuck together during
After 70.3, Rodney decided he wanted to
do the full Ironman, and Melanie decided
she might as well enter as well, as she
would be doing most of the training with
him anyway... but what she didn’t know
was that Rodney had decided to do the
race at his wife’s pace. “During the months
leading up to Ironman, Rodney decided
that he wanted to stick with me on race day, as
a symbol of starting and finishing this journey
together, but he only mentioned this to me two
weeks prior to the event. I never expected him
to commit to something like this, since he is
stronger in all three disciplines, and I knew he
would have to adopt a slower pace,” she says.
Of course, due to the fact that it is just about
impossible to keep track of anybody in the
swim, the couple devised a strategy to be able
to race together. “I started the swim a couple of
minutes ahead of him in order to arrive in the
first transition roughly the same time,” explains
Melanie. “Beforehand, we agreed where to
meet just outside the transition area on the bike
course – whoever was there first would wait
for the other – and from there on we stayed
together for the entire race. I was especially
thankful to have Rodney by my side during the
run – it was tough mentally and physically.”
The Nels finished hand-in-hand in 15:34:23,
and Rodney says “I knew what Melanie was
capable of on race day, and allowed her to set
our pace. I was merely the extra mental support
she needed. Every Ironman finisher says the red
carpet moment makes it all worth it, and as we
held hands, we heard the announcer welcoming
the “Nel Family” on to the red carpet. That was a
moment to treasure for the rest of our lives! Now
we are planning to be back in 2018, to do the
race each to our own.”
Coach’s Corner
By DTT Coach Derick Marcisz
The triathlon season kicked-off with the 5150 Bela Bela Triathlon
in August and our DTT group put in some great performances, from
both newcomers and as well as last year’s returning members, many
of whom posted new Bela PB’s. First home was Jaryd Otto in a fast
2:32:10 PB, with Angela de Gouveia our first woman home in a PB
3:09:41. The Nels also posted new PB’s 3:11:57 for Rodney and 3:51:34 for
Melanie, while Steve Jackson was second in the men’s 60-64 age category with his 3:20:15.
During September we had a most interesting Open Water Skills Clinic hosted at St Dominic’s
School in Boksburg by the first Swim Smooth Certified Coach in SA, Jana Schoeman. The clinic
included sessions covering both beginner and experienced swimmers, and swimming in a pool
without lane ropes allowed us to practice our open water skills, including sighting and swimming
straight, adapting your stroke to open water, drafting formations, and also overcoming anxiety.
The DARE TO TRI Programme will be focussing on the following events:
• 14-15 October 2017: Global 11 events at Sun City – Sprint and Standard (5150)
• 12 November 2017: Trinity Series at Germiston Lake – Sprint and Standard (5150)
• 19 November 2017: 5150 Germiston – Standard 1.5k swim/40k bike/10k run
• 26 November 2017: MiWay Midlands Ultra – Half Iron 1.9km swim/90km bike/21km run
• 14 January 2018: Trinity Series at Germiston Lake – Sprint and Standard(5150)
• 28 January 2018: 70.3 East London – Half Iron 1.9km swim/90km bike/21km run
• 15 April 2018: Ironman South Africa – 3.8km swim/180km bike/42km run
Sign up for DTT Today!
The season has just started, so you are
still able to join up for the DARE TO TRI
programme. The success of DTT is that it is
an affordable, manageable and sustainable
training programme that fits in with your
family/social and work commitments.
For just R1500, you receive personlised
coaching and can join coached weekend
group training from July 2017 till Ironman
PE in April 2018. You cannot get this level
of coaching for a nine-month period at this
cost anywhere else! To sign up, please
go to https://daretotri.canbook.me/
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