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John Smit raises R15 000 for Ironman 4 the Kidz

By

John Smit
Ryan Visagie and John Smit

Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA) continued its dominance of the Corporate Triathlon Challenge, powered by Algoa FM, on Saturday 1 April 2017. The Port Elizabeth-based tyre manufacturer backed a formidable ensemble of individual and team athletes that took the lion’s share of the silverware.

Serving as a prelude to the Ironman African Championships on Sunday 2 April, the Corporate Triathlon Challenge featured over 1 500 competitors, and covered 10 percent of the Ironman distance: a 380 m sea swim, an 18 km cycle and a 4,2 km beachfront run.

Continental-backed Keegan Cooke cemented his premier status in this event by scoring his second consecutive victory in the men’s individual category, finishing in a time of 46 min 07 sec – nearly a full minute ahead of runner-up Rinaldo Morgia.

It was a close-run affair in the ladies individual race, with Continental’s Mariella Dierks crossing the finish line in 54:22, just 16 sec behind winner Amber Schlebusch. Alexia Loizou rounded out the top three, a mere 9 sec adrift of her Continental team-mate.

Continental once again secured a clean sweep of the men’s relay race, with Team SportContact, comprising Slater Black (swimmer), Ceajay Bosman (cyclist) and Amos Nyongo (runner) setting a winning time of 43:56. They surged across the finish line just 4 sec ahead of Team EcoContact’s Cullen Biddulph, Weslee Todkill and Zolani Ngqaqa. Third place was taken by Team ExtremeContact with a time of 44:34, featuring Hal Snyman, Thembile Nxele and Charrity Ntshangana.

A total of 26 Continental teams competed in the Corporate Triathlon Challenge this year, earning the tyre manufacturer the Corporate Award for the largest number of entries for the second time in a row.

“It’s another great result for Team Continental, and I would like to express a big thank you to all the athletes, including many of our employees, who proudly competed in Continental colours and helped make this event such a success,” said Ryan Visagie, Continental’s product communications manager and team manager.

Ironman 4 the Kidz

Besides competing for individual glory, all Continental-backed athletes competing in the Corporate Triathlon Challenge and the Ironman African Championships proudly did their bit for underprivileged children in support of the Ironman 4 the Kidz Charity Trust by wearing the special bright orange Ironman 4 the Kidz bracelets.

Just one week after completing the gruelling Cape Epic race, former Springbok captain John Smit proudly raced in Continental colours while competing in the full Ironman event for the charity organisation, and managed to raise R15 000 in the process. Additionally, Continental raised R2 000 through the purchase of the wrist bands for all its athletes, with funds going towards child care and education non-profit organisations in Nelson Mandela Bay.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.