ED ’ S LETTER
IT ’ S YOUR LIFE
H ello again most valued and appreciated readers . The past 24 months have been a blur , an emotional rollercoaster that none of us could ever have expected . Races were cancelled more often than not , sessions were held inside , income and health fluctuated , and we are trying to forge our way back to whatever the ‘ new normal ’ is – it ’ s been a mess . You ’ re probably wondering why you haven ’ t held this motivationinspiring bedside , couch or toilet multisport readathon in your hands for so long . Well it ’ s because as the triathlon industry was rocked , we rolled with it , and as you can feel , we are coming back hard as the light shines out from behind the clouds . 2022 will be a great return to what we missed most – training outdoors , then racing real people in cool places and toasting our stoke together after .
It ’ s been three months of sweat and grind , a labour of love by my passionate team , to produce this 164-page , largeformat beast which you ’ re about to sink your tri-starved teeth into . It ’ s our one-stop silver bullet to kickstart the sport ’ s comeback year and we hope it keeps you nourished and chasing endorphins all year long . Certainly the 8-page calendar ( p154 ) is packed with enough rad races to keep you drooling and dreaming until December .
I have done tri for 36 years and producing this mag reminded me again why I will continue in this rewarding , healthy , adventurous sport until the day I die . I know I ’ m not alone . Yesterday I , along with many other tri lovers , attended the funeral of a triathlete who adored the sport as much as his family and his career . Andre Piehl , a giant of a man with the broadest smile , left us too soon , the victim of a reckless driver in the heart of one of our most popular training spaces . His wife spoke about how her 6 ’ 5 , 100kg ‘ champ ’ had agreed to stop racing ultra distances post Kona 2017 as his back and knees were taking strain , but within a year of couch and beer time watching cricket had realised that his life , as rich as it was for his kids , career and friends , was lacking the deep inner drive to get back outside among his tribe and push himself to be his best . With her understanding and blessing ,
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Andre had started training again and was planning to have knee surgery in order to attack a new , older age group category . RIP big guy . Your untimely passing raised enormous awareness of safety , and we are forever in your slipstream .
You ’ ve probably never heard of Andre , he wasn ’ t a pro or celebrity – he was just like us , a driven guy living the dream . His kids hero worshipped him , no matter what time he finished in . The life lesson I want to share here is to embrace your passion for swim-bike-run and ignore the incessant
Enjoying post-race rock-pool time with fun guy Maurice Clavel . Read about his best day ever on p32 .
WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT AND WE NEED TO PURSUE WHAT MAKES EACH OF US HAPPY ”
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pressure to be faster and race longer . It seems to be in our Saffa blood , and fuelled by social media , that we worship ultra distance to the extent that a fulfilling sprint distance , like we celebrate on p144 , is not deemed worthy of a joyous social media post . From the day we ’ re born , we ’ re pushed to win , to try harder , to go longer . We ’ re programmed to focus on results when in fact training may well be the stressrelieving antidote to a career chasing deadlines and trying to find balance . Some like Kristian , Flora , Matt and Jamie , who we get to know better in this edition , race for a living , while most of us feel most alive enjoying the revitalising high of a run with our tongue-flapping dog at sunrise . That ’ s how to start a successful day .
Some , like Andre and hard-working newsstand cover star Ewert Kleynhans , who has spent four years fighting his way back to the sharp end post illness , revel in pain , while the rest of us try to find ways to avoid it . Follow our top local coaches ’ advice on p110 to find and then achieve your personal goals . We are all different and we need to be pursue what makes each of us happy .
The truth is nobody who really cares about you is counting your medals or valuing you by the times you post . So set yourself free from the meaningless judgement of others and decide for yourself why you want to finish an ultra , travel to an exotic race , or simply explore a new route at any pace you desire . Some days you may decide to push the watts while on another you may take in a view so satisfying that it leads you to stop and lie on your back watching clouds drift by . It ’ s your life , and you only have one – there is no second innings . When you look back , it won ’ t be the splits you or those who loved you will remember , it will be those magic moments you cherished together . As you ’ ll read on page 88 , slower leads to faster anyway , and as Triathlon SBR mag celebrates , there are hundreds of races you can enjoy , all over our uniquely beautiful sunny country , and the big wide world , with cool new people .
Being denied racing together in 2020 / 1 has taught most of us to re-evaluate why we do it . A shared peace of spirit seems to have been adopted among us energiser bunnies . Let ’ s build on that fun-first sense of ubuntu , as the new old lore of triathlon reminds us on p162 . Be courteous to other road and trail users and leave your routes cleaner than you found them . And have a lekker year chasing what matters to you .
paul @ electricink . co . za
PHOTOGRAPH : SANDY COFFEY
12 | TRIATHLON SBR