Dagbreek School gears up for Nedbank Desert Dash

SPORTS REPORTER



The Dagbreek School for the Intellectually Impaired elite cycling team is stepping up their preparations for the annual Nedbank Desert Dash, following their participation in the Marathon Sugar Three Mountain Passes cycle tour.

“The races certainly tested both the fitness and endurance of our boys and showed us the areas in which we need to focus our training for the next few weeks,” said Paul du Plessis, the school's principal.

“Since taking up mountain-biking and participating in races countrywide, we have seen a sharp increase in the skill levels of our cyclists. Also, the work done by our cycling coach, Willem Engelbrecht, in preparing the boys has been exceptional.”

Engelbrecht, who will be cycling in his fifth Nedbank Desert Dash solo in December, says the commitment shown by the school's elite cyclists has been heart-warming.

“They turn up for every single practice and give it their all, even when they clearly feel unwell,” said Engelbrecht.

He further said that cycling has become a core sporting discipline at the school as it teaches the cyclists everything they need to know about dedication, commitment and perseverance.

“As a solo cyclist, I have appreciation for the mental fortitude that one has to show if you intend completing the race. And nothing tests your mental toughness quite like the Nedbank Desert Dash,” he added.

The school's participation has been made possible by generous sponsorships from the Namibian Oncology Centre and Nedbank.

The centre's financial manager, Willemien Maree, will also be leading a mixed four-person team in tackling the longest single-stage mountain biking event in the world for solo riders.

“We are excited about this challenge, but nothing gives us greater gratitude than playing our part in supporting the schools participation in our country's most iconic cycling race.

“The Namibian Oncology Centre is fully supportive of the exceptional work done at Dagbreek and hopefully our training regimes will align such that we can train with Willem and the boys in the lead-up to the Nedbank Desert Dash,” added Maree.

Cornell Meeks, head of Nedbank private wealth suite said all Nedbankers are inspired by the school's elite cycling team.

“A young lad like PJ Diergaardt has already shown what can be achieved through hard work, having been crowned as a top two rider in his age category in the local schools league.

“As a bank, we have always strived to be highly involved in the communities that we serve, and our long-term association with the Nedbank Desert Dash has made our sponsorship a no-brainer,” she said.

“While we have such high regard for every single one of the 1 000 cyclist at this year's event, our private wealth team will be cheering just a tad louder for the Oncology Centre and Dagbreek teams.”

Joining Maree in the Namibian Oncology Centre team are Lani du Plessis, Sybil Eksteen and JD Samson, while PJ's teammates in the Nedbank/Dagbreek colours will be Rodney Stewe, Yvad Jansen, Taryll Gawachab and Tjitjai Novengi.