With six weeks to go before this year’s Dusi Canoe Marathon‚ Sbonelo Khwela has already entered the final phase of his preparations for three gruelling days on the 120km watery trek from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
The athlete‚ who along with Andy Bicket won the 2014 K2 (doubles) race‚ has set his sights on adding a K1 (singles) race victory to his list of honours. And to do that he wakes up at the crack of dawn to begin his training at Shongweni Dam.
Khwela‚ who lives in Shongweni‚ trains twice a day along with fellow competitors Banetse Nkhoesa and Marc Germiquet who he says are pushing him hard. But a lack of rain has made it hard for him to prepare for the technical aspects the race requires.
“I am very confident ahead of this year’s race. I have a good feeling about it. Winning the K1 Dusi is the ultimate prize for any competitive paddler‚” said Khwela‚ who finished third with Nkhoesa in last year’s canoe marathon.
Widely regarded as one of the most powerful runners the competition has ever seen‚ Khwela has admitted that this year he has shifted his attention mainly to paddling.
“Running is my strength but in order to win I have to paddle well. I am still running and training in the gym twice a week but at the moment my big focus is in the dam‚’ he said.
Multiple winner Birkett and 2013 champion Lance Kime present the biggest threats to Khwela’s charge for top honours but he prefers not to worry too much about the competition.
“I am very focused this year. I know these guys are beatable. It is important for me to do the best that I can do in training and race my heart out on race days‚” he said.
He will go to the 2017 race in good shape‚ having won the recent the Umpetha Challenge and StaminaGro 50 Miler Canoe Marathon.
The Dusi marathon runs from February 16-18.
- TMG Digital/The Times
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