South African Team Selected for the Abu Dhabi Competition
News Release / 02.09.2010
<i>Every year the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority sponsor a paid-for team entry to the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. Teams are chosen from selected regions around the world, with the specific purpose of enabling racers to break into the world of international racing and one of the competition partners is the South African AR site www.AR.co.za who have just chosen their team. We will have news of the other selected teams, including one chosen by SleepMonsters Australia in the near future.</i>In June, six adventure racers – four women and two men - were selected from written applications for the Team www.AR.co.za squad. Over a period of two-and-a-half months, these Gauteng-based squad members have attended paddle coaching sessions, training on dams twice a week through the dead of winter to improve their technique and proficiency. They’ve practised their rope skills and they have participated in sprint and one-day adventure racing events including the recent non-stop, multi-day adventure race Swazi Xtreme. Now, with just over three months until the start of the 4th edition of the annual Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge (ADAC) in December 2010, the members for Team www.AR.co.za have been selected.
The process of selection for the three places on Team www.AR.co.za began with the submission of written applications from which six squad members were recruited. After three months of training and racing the three racers to make up the mixed-gender, four-person team captained by experienced adventure racer, Lisa de Speville, were chosen. “In previous years, my ADAC teams were chosen from written applications. This year, because I received notice of our entry, which is sponsored by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, earlier, I was able to change the selection process,†de Speville says.
“Managing and choosing from a squad has been more difficult for me because I have gotten to know and train with these talented, competent and compatible racers; all super people with common racing objectives,†she adds. “We ‘lost’ Ilze Jansen van Rensburg in early July after an emergency eye operation put a halt on her training and racing for weeks.â€
The choosing of only three from the five squad members - Adri van der Westhuyzen, Keane Ludig, Lizelle Smit, Lizelle van der Merwe and Steven Erasmus - has weighed heavily on de Speville’s mind. “I’ve played over and over with all kinds of combinations and they would all work well. But, I had to settle on just three. In making my final selection I’ve looked at age, experience, ambitions as well as opportunities that they currently have or could have as a result of being part of the squad and team.â€
