GODZone
The Springbok in the Godzone
Press Release / 18.03.2018
Stefan Terblanche - former Springbok rugby player and now never again to be called 'a novice' Adventure Racer - philosophises and agonises over the event that changed his life and his ankles:
It`s now one whole week after finishing GODZone Adventure chapter 7 and I still have a very abnormal appetite and sore feet.
Scary to think that in rugby terms and playing professionally I would have had at least 5 or 6 training sessions and already played my next competitive game, sometimes not even on the same continent and traveling halfway around the world to do so.
I am also waking up in the middle of the night trying to work out the route from where I am positioned and worrying about the fact that I still have another 8 hours left to get to the next checkpoint. When I finally work out what the hell is going on and where I am it`s with great relief that I can go back to sleep.
Completing the race was one thing but the 44 hours traveling back was an adventure in itself and the recovery really only started after that.
A couple of months back I had absolutely no idea what adventure racing was all about and that I would take part in one of the toughest races in the world a few months on.
GODZone certainly is a race like no other. The simplicity of the platform provided to compete is as pure as they come with the organizers, volunteers and other teams also making it one of the most unique and humbling events I have ever had the privilege to take part in. Completing the race as the last team gave me a sense of achievement but at the time not realizing the full extent of the result. I certainly didn’t realize the full extent of the event when signing up for this event and only realized what I was in for halfway through the 110KM stage 1.
During GODZone I realized that I was the weakest link in the team with a complete lack of skill and experience showing early on. For me it was all about hanging in there to do what I could not to let the team down and to somehow make a plan to get through. If you drop out individually you also pull the plug on your team mates and it would spell the end for them as well.
During GODZone I had so many thoughts and battles in my head. It`s incredible to see how the body reacts and how it protects itself to firstly a massive shock to it and secondly to something completely foreign to what it is used to.
I mentioned the battles in my head and at stages one would think you can do this ... only to be thrown a really big obstacle around the next corner. Even though adventure racing is a team sport one spends many hours caught in your own thoughts while covering mile after mile or hour after hour on route to the next checkpoint or cut- off.
To say that I had a great team would be a gross understatement as I was completely useless to them at many stages during the 219 hours we spent out on the course. I would be too tired to boil the water, pitch a tent or even put my own splashy on, but somehow they would support me, warm me up and get me to the next stage with some hot food and much needed sleep.
To Tweet, Grant Ross and Jane Swarbreck a huge thank you for pulling me through and sincere apologies for slowing you down.
Will I do it again and did I learn anything from it? I guess that what events like these are all about?
I certainly didn’t do it for the Jimmy`s mince pie and Altitude Beer even though they both tasted delicious at the finish line. What I did learn is that in this race, as I guess in life, you have to deal with issues right there and then before they escalate into something much bigger and much more serious. Look after your feet, treat them straightaway before they end your race for example.
More importantly if you really want something badly enough you can have it should you put your mind to it. Life will throw all sorts of challenges at us, but somehow we deal with it.
Will I do it again……..I might say it’s too early to ask me that question but would I cover all of the 548km (and some) we covered to experience the same sense of achievement I have this past week even with sore and swollen feet ... hell yes!
Thanks Team Merrell for this opportunity, believe it or not, I did enjoy some of it.
SleepMonsters
