Extreme Dusi athletes shoulder
responsibility for the environment
Durban - On 21 January 2010 extreme adventure racers Andrew King and Devlin
Fogg will attempt to become the first competitors to complete the 120km Hansa
Powerade Dusi canoe marathon carrying their kayak the entire way, as part of
a groundbreaking initiative to raise awareness on the ecological challenges
facing Umsunduzi and uMngeni rivers.
The Powerade Race For The River will see the nuggety duo running each
of the three stages with their kayak on their shoulders, trying to stay as
close to the banks of the rivers as is practically possible. Powerade and the
team hope to focus attention on the challenges facing the environment along
the race route, highlighting the work that is being done by the Dusi
uMngeni Conservancy Trust (DUCT).
DUCT was born out of canoeists’ concerns about pollution and environmental
damage being done on an ongoing basis to the two river systems, and in
particular the hazard posed by ecoli levels responsible for the crippling
"Dusi Guts" illness that has dogged the race in recent years.
King and Fogg estimate that they will be able to complete each stage in
roughly double the time that it will take the leaders to get to the finish
line.
King is no stranger to seeking new challenges in the country's oldest
canoeing race. He has completed the race numerous times, including an
unofficial "up" Dusi, involving a midwinter portage from Durban to
Pietermaritzburg, a "sideways" Dusi, and last year's "double" Dusi where he
raced each day twice with Brad Pearce to raise fund for a Bulwer orphanage.
Fogg is just as obsessed with extreme endurance challenges, and was part of a
group that completed a nine month odyssey from the North Pole to the South
Pole using purely human energy to propel themselves around the globe.
"The health of a river system is entirely dependent on what is happening in
its catchment," said DUCT spokesperson Andrew Booth. "The Dusi uMngeni
Conservation Trust therefore has a wide spectrum of focuses in the uMsunduzi
and uMngeni catchments, one of which is combating sewerage spills into the
river. Our activities on the river are carried out throughout the year, but
are intensified in the lead up to the Hansa Powerade Dusi Canoe Marathon."
"More than anything we need the paddlers to be our eyes and ears, and we hope
that the Powerade Race For
The
River
will establish a significant commitment to reporting problems when they see
them so that we can act on their behalf," he added.
Paddlers taking part in the race will each be given a sticker carrying the
DUCT hotline number, and will be encouraged to report any problems they see
as they race down the uMsunduzi and uMngeni rivers.
Brand Powerade has supported the race since 1998 and the brand has a vested
interest in giving back to the communities who are an integral part of the
race and its success. The Powerade Race for the River aims to assist DUCT by
growing awareness of this organisation and its newly-established pollution
hotline – 033 345 7571, which communities and paddlers can use to report any
damage to the environment along the rivers.
"Preservative free Powerade sports drink is about putting the right
ingredients and fluids back into your body to enable it to function to its
full sporting potential. 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," said Ismail Nanabhay, Powerade's Brand
Manager.
"The river in recent years has attracted bad publicity around water quality,"
Nanabhay added. "This initiative serves to build awareness of the importance
of putting the right ingredients and fluids into your body and keeping the
wrong ingredients out of the river.”
ENDS
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Powerade Race For the River Logo - on
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Andrew King (front) and Brad Pearce in action
at the start of their Double Dusi in 2008. King will team up with Devlin Fog
to carry their double in this year's Powerade Race For The River. |
Jon Ivins/
Gameplan Media |
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Andrew King puts in some training ahead of the
120km Powerade Race For The River. |
Kelvin Trautman/
Gameplan Media |
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