admin
been part of his life since childhood.
The former St. John’s College student, who is now fully employed by his former South AfricanTri-Series sponsors, BSG Africa Group, took part in a newly-launched Warriors Obstacle Triathlon Race recently held on a mountainous site just outside Johannesburg.
Organisers of the event came up with the idea of bringing together present and past triathlon Olympians to battle against the toughest conditions unexpected in a normal sports race.
Nevertheless, Felgate did not disappoint as he managed to finish second behind South African Claude Eksteen after he battled out with other top South African triathletes like Bennie Roux and Adriaan Cronje.
“I have started working full-time for BSG as a Corporate Wellness Specialist that means offering health and wellness talks to companies. But my competitiveness on the track is still there after I competed in various obstacle course races including the Warrior, as they keep me competitive and allows flexibility in training.
“I also try and do as much as I can in giving back to the sport that has kept me going in the past years,” said Felgate.
A total of 600 athletes competed in the event which was titled Warrior Race Obstacle Series.
The veteran triathletes were treated to a variety of challenges including the temperature range of between 14 to 18 degrees Celsius at the Big Red Barn with an amazing extreme athleticism from the competitors.
A 19km cycle track with 30 obstacles boiled up to a battle royale between Eksteen, Felgate, Roux and Cronje, before the Zimbabwean seemingly frustrated by the mud struck course but managed to pull through.
“The route was really tough, as athletes we intended to just run along and not really look for the route markers.
“Fatigue was also catching up on me, but as a triathlete, I’m always ready to tackle such difficulties and finish my race,” he added.
Eksteen, who finished ahead of Felgate, is a former South African and German triathlon champion and like Felgate, he interestingly also retired from the scene at the end of last year. The former member of the Mt Pleasant Club, Felgate, represented Zimbabwe at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, as well as last year’s Olympic Games in London. He also represented the country well at all the annual International Triathlon Union Troutbeck Africa Cup hosted in Nyanga.
According to Felgate, the multi-disciplined challenge is great in that the obstacle race makes you measure against yourself.
Online Reporter