Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HAVING been involved in various sport disciplines from a tender age, Aaron Whyte could have chosen any of them and probably excelled.
But as fate would have it, he ended up settling for athletics. Whyte has made notable milestones in the various aspects of the sport, with the recent one being the endorsement by the World Athletics to become a Grade C Course Measurer.
The promotion by World Athletics qualifies him to measure race routes at national level.
Whyte took an interest in course marking way back, before the opportunity to attend one of the courses in Kenya last year came knocking on his door.
“One very important thing is a lead up to this promotion by World Athletics. When I was at HAC (Harare Athletic Club), when I was at the twilight of my career because of the injury, I started doing course measurements for HAC.
“I remember the guys at HAC who started teaching me how to do course measurements like Ian Clark. “I remember I used to mark with Lucky Ngwenya. That’s where it started. So, I started doing course marking for HAC.
“After that, I then handed it over to someone else. But nobody really then continued with course marking then. People just left it like that,” said Whyte. It was only last year when the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president Tendayi Tagara, approached him on the subject and he accepted the offer to attend the course.
But he admits what he knew or thought was course marking and what he learnt during the course was different. “So, when there was an opportunity for someone to go and do this course in Kenya.
“That’s when NAAZ picked me because Mr Tagara knew of my history at HAC.
“Everything that we thought was course marking was actually not because we thought course marking was just saying we start here, then we go this way, try to get some distance, and then you have measured the route.
“But there is actually a lot that’s involved . . . I’ve done plenty of courses in my life, but this one was one of the toughest courses that I’ve ever done. “Not only physically, but mentally and intellectually, it’s demanding. It’s like you’re trying to do an engineering crash course in a short space of time,” said Whyte.
“Then course measurement itself is not just getting on the bike. But there is a way of doing it, which is the only way that’s recognised by World Athletics and AIMS, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races.
“There is what’s called a Jones Counter. It’s the only gadget that’s used to measure in the world. The gadget is attached to the front axle of your bike, usually on the right-hand side. There are some that are attached on the left-hand side, but mostly it’s the right-hand side.
“The Jones Counter itself does not measure distance. But it measures revolutions. So, when the bicycle is moving, it will be measuring revolutions. So, what you then do is you calibrate your bike. We usually do it over a distance of 300m. That’s called calibration.
“So, then we need to know, say, over 300m, this is the number of revolutions that we get. So, for us to get to a kilometre, this is the number of revolutions that we are supposed to get.
“It’s quite complicated, but when you start doing it, it’s actually fun to do.”
Besides the course being intellectually and physically challenging, Whyte admits it is also costly with a proper bike for the task costing between US$2 000 and US$12 000.
“The class that we had in Kenya had 34 people, and from those 34 people, only three came out of that class . . . But it’s also by God’s grace because there are certain opportunities that only God can open for you.
“When I got this promotion, I think I was just too excited. I went on to buy a new bike. It was $4 000. Quite an investment. But I don’t regret that because it is an investment.”
He is the current HAB vice-chairperson.
This year he was appointed assistant to the national director and he worked with the 4x400m men’s relay team that qualified for the World Relays held in May in China.
“So, my main goal in sports is to get God known more through sports. I believe I am a disciple who was called to do this through sports . . . For me, if I manage to do that, I would be satisfied,” said Whyte. He started off as an athlete, got into coaching and administration and in some instances was a fan. He has seen the different sides of it. “I played almost every sport. I used to play polocrosse, hockey. I played rugby, cricket and soccer. “I really loved soccer. I actually thought I was going to play in the EPL. But then my coaches would always tell me that I was more inclined towards running than soccer. “When I was in primary school, I was a sprinter. I was a 200, 400m runner. But when I got to high school, because of my East African background, most people, even the coaches who were there, pushed me to do middle-long distance.
