McGregor bullish about third Dusi victory

Monday, 07 February 2011 11:32

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Hank McGregor hungry for success at The Unlimited Dusi

Hank McGregor will start The Unlimited Dusi canoe marathon on Thursday 17 February with the enviable record of having won a gold medal on every one of his seven Dusi starts, and hungry to secure a third victory in the three day race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

However the key to his campaign in 2011 seems to hinge on a combination of a relaxed approach to his sport, and the accumulation of experience in a race that he describes as "90% mental and 10% physical."

"I came into the Dusi with very little river experience, and I feel like I have been catching up on river technique when compared to the guys I have been racing against," says McGregor, who was schooled as a surfski racer and made his transition to river races relatively recently.

"I am feeling a lot more relaxed about my paddling now and enjoying it a lot more, and I believe that will count on the day when the pressure kicks in," he added.

After winning the K1 title in 2005, he followed that up with a K2 victory with the Dusi Duke Martin Dreyer in 2006, joining a very short list of paddlers who have managed to win the race in successive years.

His bid for a hat-trick of titles in 2007 effectively ended when he dramatically took a wrong turn at the  Hole-In-The-Wall portage on the first day that saw his race lead disintegrate, and he fell back to twentieth within minutes, ruling him out of title contention.

"Nobody ever has a 100% perfect Dusi," says McGregor. "It's all about how you recover from the slip-ups and get back into a winning frame of mind."

"There are no guarantees in a race like the Dusi," he added. "You can have a guy like Ant Stott, who I reckon is one of the best river paddlers in the world, and he can take a swim at something relatively easy like the Albert Falls weir."

"A lot will depend on the water as well," says McGregor, who will easily be the heaviest paddler in the seeded A batch. "I'd prefer it to be full, but then it is harder to catch up on the paddling sections. In a low river the pools are dead, which makes the paddling longer and favours the paddlers. That's the magic of the Dusi. It's a complex race to race."

McGregor is known world-wide for his tenacious approach to his racing and his "First is first and second is nothing" mantra, making him one of the most feared paddling opponents on the planet.

"I live on the banks of the Umgeni river and every day I come down to Blue Lagoon to train and I ask myself whether I will be there first next Saturday," says McGregor. "I know what it feels like to win, and I know what it feels like to lose."

Since the Cape Point Challenge surfski race McGregor, who was a schoolboy cross-country champion, has been focussing on his preparations for The Unlimited Dusi, shedding weight and sharpening his running in a routine of trail running, road running and training on the beach. However he believes that the change in the date of the race will catch some elite paddlers over-prepared.

"Some of the top guys went into full training as if the Dusi was still in January, and I seriously think they will get to the start overcooked," says McGregor. "The trick to winning the Dusi is to arrive fit and feeling fresh. So I think when we look back on the 2011 race we will realise what a difference the change in date will have made."

McGregor has a long list of threats to the 2011 title, ranging from the former winners Ant Stott and Len Jenkins, to Dusi icon Michael Mbanjwa and junior speedster Brandon van der Walt. "Watch out for guys like Eric Zondi and Thomas Ngidi," warns McGregor. "They are flying at the moment and you may well find one of them getting to the finish line first this year."

He also warns that the pressure of racing at the front will sort out the men from the boys. "I must admit that it is easy to race at the front, and really hard to play catch up," says McGregor. "Often the guys blow at their strong point - running or paddling - because they try too hard. It's all mind games at the front!"

McGregor is raring to go as he enters the final week of his preparations. "Touch wood I am injury free and going from strength to strength. Anyone living in Durban can't help but get caught up in the Dusi Fever. I can't wait to get started."

The Unlimited Dusi starts on Pietermaritzburg on 17 February and ends in Durban on 19 February.

More information can be found at www.dusi.co.za

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