XTERRA Warriors will hone their swimming prowess the weekend prior to the Fedhealth XTERRA Grabouw when they take part in the 2018 Sanlam Cape Mile at the Eikenhof Dam at the Grabouw Country Club on Sunday February 18.
XTERRA Warriors to look out for on the day will include XTERRA World Champions, Bradley Weiss (South Africa) and Flora Duffy (Bermuda) as well as Michael Lord and Hayley Preen to mention just a few.
“The Sanlam Cape Mile is great preparation for XTERRA Grabouw,” says Weiss. “XTERRA athletes will be able to get a feel of what the conditions will be like on race day. Many triathletes spend the majority of their time training in a swimming pool and don’t get into open water very often. Add an extra few hundred swimmers and it can be a pretty overwhelming experience. Having the Sanlam Cape Mile just one week before our national XTERRA Championship is an opportunity all competitors should take advantage of. I love the vibe and atmosphere of the swimming community. Being able to go up against some of the best swimmers in the country is an awesome opportunity.”
According to Duffy, she doesn’t often get the opportunity to participate in stand-alone open water swim races. “The Sanlam Cape Mile is awesome. There is a nice mix of professionals, age groupers, children and first time competitors. The diversity of abilities makes the event special. Last year I did not have a very good race. This year my goal will be to finish in the top ten of the professional women.”
“The Sanlam Cape Mile is hosted at one of the best open water swim venues in the world,” says Lord. “The event is perfectly organised and boasts one of the largest event setups around for this type of event. There is a lot of space for families and friends to relax while showing support. My goal will be to get a good feel for the water and swim route in the build up to XTERRA Grabouw.”
In addition to swimming, Preen will also be supporting her mother on the day. “My mother will be swimming all five waves,” says Preen. “This will be the first time that I take part in the Sanlam Cape Mile. If it is anything like XTERRA it will be an amazing day out. My goal will be to have a good swim and build up some confidence for XTERRA Grabouw.”
British triathlete Jodie Cunnama will also be seen in action at the Sanlam Cape Mile. “I entered the event because of the beautiful host venue and high class competition. It is good timing for a swim race pre triathlon race season,” says Cunnama. “The event is super cool and caters for families, novices and elites.
“This will be my first venture since giving birth to my son Jack in November last year. My goal will be to give my best on the limited training that I have put together. I plan to be competitive at some major road triathlons later in the year.”
For more information on the Sanlam Cape Mile, contact Stillwater Sports on 082 991 0045, entries@stillwatersports.com or visit www.stillwatersports.com
