Powerade Race For The River Day One
Dusi Bridge – Extreme athletes Andrew King and Devlin Fogg completed the
first stage of the Powerade Race For The River when they walked into the
overnight stop of the Hansa Powerade Dusi canoe marathon having carried their
double kayak throughout the 42km first leg.
The intrepid duo took seven hours to cover the stage in tricky
slippery conditions, using a route that started with a bold detour that took
them through the heart of Pietermaritzburg and then cross country to the
Campbell's Farm portage where they rejoined the rest of the field.
"Today went well although it took us longer than expected, but we received an
awesome amount of support from the seconds and spectators which kept us
going," said King. "We kept on bumping into paddlers who would say "oh you're
those crazy guys that are running the race!" he laughed.
To their surprise, after a long day on the river themselves and having yet to
take a break, both Ant Stott and Michael Mbanjwa met Fogg and King on the
route alongside Mission rapid to show their support. "It was without a doubt
the highlight of our day for two guys in their position to come out and
support us, we even shared some of our pasta within them at a pit stop!" said
King."It's a very hard
thing they are doing, but it's great because the people in the valley will
definitely appreciate what they are doing," said Mbanjwa. "They are the
people drinking the river water, so any improvement would be a good thing."
The route the pair took skirted the Darvill sewerage works out the edge of
the city, which has been the centre of much of the work that has been done
with the Dusi uMngeni Conservancy Trust (DUCT) to remedy the ecoli pollution
in the uMsindusi river.
"It is encouraging to see that the sewer system was coping with the heavy
influx of water after the storms this week," said King. "In years gone by the
sewers simply overflowed after a big storm, but it is clear that there have
been some major changes to the Darvill works."
"That's exciting for the guys who are in the river paddling the Dusi, and
those that live along the banks who use the river water every day" said King.
Powerade's brand manager Ismail Nanabhay backed that sentiment. "Much
like the human body, the Dusi river works on a delicate ecosystem and it is
necessary to reduce the amount of toxins in the river for it to function at
its best."
"There is a great parallel with Powerade being preservative-free," Nanabhay
added. "We want to ensure the athletes put the right ingredients and fluids
back into their body to enable it to function to its full sporting
potential."
King and Fogg encountered overwhelming support throughout the first stage
from fellow participants, seconds, spectators and local residents of the
valley. "We were really buoyed by that, and I can only encourage each and
every person who has an interest in this valley to report any cases of
pollution of the uMsindusi river to the DUCT Hotline on 033 345 7571."
The pair spent the afternoon recovering and preparing for the brutal second
stage from Dusi Bridge to Inanda dam. This is the longest stage of the race
and passes through dense bush, and ending with a lengthy detour around the
banks of Inanda dam on a route that is probably double the straight line
distance that the conventional paddlers will have to complete.
ENDS
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Powerade Race For the River Logo - on
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GPS tracked route followed by Andrew King and
Devlin Fogg on day one of the Powerade Race For The River in the 2010 Hansa Powerade
Dusi |
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The Powerade Race For The River team of Andrew
King (left) and Devlin Fogg plan to carry their canoe the entire distance of
2010 Hansa Powerade Dusi. |
Samantha Thompson/
Gameplan Media |
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The Powerade Race For The River team of Andrew
King (left) and Devlin Fogg run out of Pietermaritzburg alongside
conventional participants in the Hansa Powerade Dusi. |
Samantha Thompson/
Gameplan Media |
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Powerade Race For The River crew of Devlin
Fogg (left) and Andrew King cross a bridge at the outflow of the Darville
sewerage works outside Pietermaritzburg. The Dusi Umgeni Conservancy Trust
(DUCT) has been working with the local municipality to resolve pollution
issues ahead of the Hansa Powerade Dusi. |
Samantha Thompson/
Gameplan Media |
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A crowd of spectators including race
favourites Michael Mbanjwa (left) and Ant Stott (right) welcome in the
Powerade Race For The River crew of Devlin Fogg (front centre) and Andrew
King (centre back) on their arrival at Mission rapid two thirds of the way
down Day One of the Hans Powerade Dusi. |
Samantha Thompson/
Gameplan Media |
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From left: Andrew King, Ant Stott, Michael
Mbanjwa and Devlin Fogg. |
Samantha Thompson/
Gameplan Media |
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Refuel. Race favourite Ant Stott (right)
shares a bowl of pasta with the exhausted Powerade Race For The River duo of
Andrew King (left) and Devlin Fogg. |
Samantha Thompson/
Gameplan Media |
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