Excitement is building ahead of the 2022 MyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon. As always, the race will be a fiercely contested event, which Maritzburg College has a strong vested interest and passion in. Multiple Dusi Champion and Maritzburg College Old Boy, Andy Birkett is joined by U23 champion and fellow OC Dave Evans, and they are definitely the pair to watch, as they aim to being home the win.
Although he doesn’t chase records and is looking forward to paddling with Dave as a good friend, this year could see a 9th consecutive Dusi crown for Andy, who has won every K2 edition of the Dusi since 2010, and has 11 wins to his name. read more about this talented paddling duo here
(Photo: Anthony Grote)
The iconic race kicks off of Thursday morning as paddlers set off for the first stage, winding through the city of Pietermaritzburg, finishing at Dusi Bridge, some 42km downstream. Day two takes the paddlers through the heart of the Valley of a Thousand Hills, where they will finish on Inanda Dam. The third and final stage will take paddlers all the way down to Blue Lagoon, where the 2019 Dusi Champion will be crowned.
A strong paddling culture at Maritzburg College is built among our College boys from grade eight, where the Second Formers arrive in their masses at Ernie Pearce Weir to support their fellow school mates and paddlers alike.
This year, College has 9 young men who will set out on Thursday to take part in this epic event; James Sharpe, Joshua Glyn-Cuthbert, Chris Adams, James Goble, Ross Finnie, Jack Odell, Ian Hemingway, Chad Newman and Kent Rhodes. They are being mentored and prepared by College’s head canoe coach is Bridgitte Hartley, who is herself paddling with Pippa McGregor and aiming for a top 10 place. Read more about Bridgitte’s 2022 Dusi dreams here
Canoe sprint Bronze medal winner at the 2012 Olympics, Bridgitte has very recently also been appointed as chairperson of the International Canoe Federation’s Athlete Committee, and will no doubt add her voice to help shaping the future of canoeing at a global level.
There are also many of our OCs who are planning to take part in the 2022 Dusi and we wish all of them the very best!
As friends and family get ready to line the banks of the Duzi River, the competitors know full-well what lies ahead of them. There is no doubt that there will be plenty of thrills and spill over the 120 km between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
Please come and give your support to the many current and past College boys who will be out on the river proudly identified by their #REDBLACKWHITE labelled boats.
