After successfully completing her water proficiency test less than two weeks before taking on The Unlimited Dusi canoe marathon, Unathi Msengana tweeted: “I just want to put it out there. I was petrified, but it was a blast!”
Msengana will make her debut in Africa’s biggest canoe race with 12-time world champion surf skier Oscar Chalupsky as part of the celebrity charity batch, which raises awareness and funds for the official race charities. The Idols judge and Metro FM presenter has been following a hectic training regime of paddling for an hour three to four times a week followed by a 5km run since November last year.
According to her coach Russell Willis, Unathi’s diligent training has paid off. She passed her water proficiency test in a single canoe (K1) with flying colours on a fairly full Klip River. The test monitors the candidate’s ability to read river rapids, select the correct paddling lines and understand how the flow affects the course.
He further stated that although Unathi mastered the basic technical skills including balance and a good stable stroke, most of her paddling time has been on flat water. The challenge is to apply these skills while traversing a full river with strong flow and tricky rapids, but that he had faith in Unathi’s determined and competitive approach.
“I’ve been working with Unathi for the past four months and her commitment and tenacity speak of true sportsmanship. This was her first time in a K1 on a river in full flow, which is probably not ideal. I would have preferred a lower water level, but it showed her what a river can dish out. Being out on a river on your own for the first time is a very real experience and it is the only way that you can get a real taste of what the Dusi can entail,” explains Willis, who has been coaching for 14 years and will also be part of the 2013 The Unlimited Dusi line-up.
Unathi is eager for the iconic race. “I love a challenge and am always ready to tackle something new. I am very committed to maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle and paddling has definitely added a new dimension to my exercise regime. The running will definitely be an extreme endurance test as I’ve had operations to both my knees, but I’ve been training hard to make sure that I can carry the canoe on land for about 10 kilometres. I am also passionate about children and supporting a cause such as The Unlimited Child and the amazing work they do in early childhood development just ticks the right boxes,” said Unathi.
Follow Unathi’s progress during The Unlimited Dusi from 14 – 16 February 2013 on www.dusi.co.za or on twitter @unathimsengana.
URL: http://www.dusi.co.za
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Author: Christel Liebenberg from Peridot Communications. Originally distributed by MyPR.co.za.
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Coach, Russell Willis showing Unathi Msengana the ropes during her water proficiency test – which she passed with flying colours in preparation for The Unlimited Dusi 2013. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers
Idols judge Unathi Msengana mastering the Klip River during her water proficiency test in preparation for The Unlimited Dusi 2013. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers
