Thursday, 03 March 2011 15:54
A record to be proud of
Eric Bothma may not be a name mentioned amidst the likes of Stott, Mbanjwa, Birkett and Zondi and to many would be a complete unknown, however this well-experienced Pietermaritzburg based paddler boasts a unique and highly respectable record of his own which no other ever will.
When Bothma and his close friend and paddling partner Steve Curry cross the start line on Friday 4 March for the 15th edition of The Unlimited Non-Stop Dusi, Bothma will continue his remarkable record journey as the only person in the history of the event to have completed every race since its formal inception in 1997.
“I’m not really one for records but this is certainly something I’m quite proud of. I’ve done all of them and hence I just have to keep coming back each year. If I were to not finish one I don’t know if I would keep going but for now I’ve done them all and I’ll keep coming back for more,” said Bothma.
“I did the first one in 1997 after one of my suppliers came into my shop a couple days before the race and said he was doing it. So my partner and I pottered down to the start without having done any training and off we went."
“I’ve always been a sporty guy and I used to play rugby for Alex Wasps. They used to have a canoe club so a couple of us got involved in paddling through there and this year was now my twenty third Dusi," he added.
As race organisers look to refocus their attention on the essence of the event Bothma understands better than most what this race is all about.
“It’s not a race. It might be for the top five or six boats but for the rest it’s an adventure. Our goal tomorrow will be just to get to Durban and to enjoy it,” said Bothma.
“Your attitude is incredibly important. If you get to the start line thinking it’s going to be like going to breakfast with your wife then you’re in for a big surprise. It’s long and hard but if you keep positive and just try enjoy it you will get there.”
“It’s a very different experience to Dusi. You see your seconds a lot, which is critical. You will go through lows and when you get to see them it really makes a big difference,” he added.
Whilst specific Non-stop training may have been on the cards for some of the elite athletes after recovering from the recent The Unlimited Dusi, Bothma opted for a slightly more relaxed, energy saving approach.
“Training, I just did that thing a few days ago called the Dusi!” he joked. “We haven’t done too much which is a bit of a worry but we’ll just pace ourselves accordingly and look to get to Durban.”
The Unlimited Non-stop Dusi starts at 5:30am on Friday 4 March 2011 at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg and ends at Blue Lagoon in Durban.
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