KNYSNA NEWS - It's been one helluva year. We all know that, and therefore we all know the sport fraternity has taken an immeasurable knock due to Covid-19 regulations around the country and worldwide.
But, regardless of the challenges that this year brought, there were still quite a few noteworthy moments.
Don't forget, we still had three months of "normality" before everything went haywire.
So, in an effort to focus on the positive - that there was still sport to reflect on this year - I have selected 12 moments, one from each month, that stood out this year.
January – Branden Grace's SA Open triumph
Raised in Buffalo Bay, Branden Grace is a local boytjie through and through, and on 12 January he finally completed his collection of South Africa's five most significant tournaments by bagging the title at the SA Open. He was accompanied by another Knysna local, Altus Kapp, who was his caddie for the tournament.
February – Jean and Stephan take on England
Two cricketers from the Plettenberg Bay Pioneers Cricket Club - Jean du Plessis and Stephan Tait - were handed extra special call-ups in February, when they were asked to represent the Cricket South Africa Invitational XI against England in two tour matches in Paarl on 31 January and 1 February. Du Plessis captained the side both times, scoring 40 runs and grabbing two catches, while Tait bagged six wickets in the two games.
March – Knysna Timber Fest World Record
On Saturday 14 March at 14:00, the Knysna Timber Festival organisers attempted a trailblazing Guinness World Record (GWR) for the highest number of chainsaws simultaneously cutting through logs. So, 48 participants were tasked with sawing through logs at the same time, and the participants broke new ground and made history by being the first in the world to attempt this record.
April – The Backyard Two Oceans
Runners couldn't leave their homes, so the physical Two Oceans Marathon couldn't take place. But, this did not stop runners around the country from running in their backyards, and locals were no exception. Runners took on the typical Two Oceans distances in the comfort and safety of their own gardens, a commendable achievement.
May – Two Lagoons Revival
In years gone by, the Two Lagoons Marathon was a favourite among local runners. It stopped in 2008, but 12 years later, once we were allowed to run outside again, locals revived it in the form of a 10-day challenge that saw them run a total of 65km in that time.
June – Back to the greens
One of the biggest losses during the initial lockdown was the closure of golf courses. But, as levels lowered and restrictions loosened, they were eventually opened to the public again on Saturday 13 June.
July – Virtual Oyster Fest
As with the Two Oceans, the physical Oyster Festival was cancelled. However, organisers put together a virtual rendition of the festival that featured quite a few interesting versions of sport that were played online (virtually) instead. Some were held physically, and participants asked to submit their times online for judging.
August – Champion Clayton Kiewitz
Knysna's bodybuilding star, Clayton Kiewitz, is continuing to make his mark on the bodybuilding world. This time round he won the 2020 Arnold Classic Virtual Model Search, the virtual version of the yearly Arnold Classics competition.
September – Star karate kid
Galliano Boni is only 10 years old, but in early September he raked in nine gold medals and a silver in the 10 categories he entered for in the On The Web (OTW) World Online Karate Championship. This brought his total world championship titles to a whopping 17.
October – Stellar Aimee Canny
It just never gets old, seeing local stars triumph, does it? Young swimmer Aimee Canny is the prime example, and at the 2020 SA Short Course Championships she bagged five medals, a new SA record, and a world champ's qualification time - achievements made all the more significant as she is typically a long-course swimmer.
November – A triathlon hat trick
Every year the Knysna Extreme Triathlon pushes triathletes to the absolute limit with 5km of swimming, 174km of cycling and 50km of running. And each year there has been one man that has stayed top of the pops. With this, the third edition of the race, Manfred Wiehahn managed to complete his hat trick of titles with yet another dominant victory.
December – A legendary father
In the eyes of Nyiko Masango, having a reliable father figure in one's life is of utmost importance. He believes this so strongly, that he took on a 3 143km journey from the Beitbridge border post, all the way to Cape Town, to raise awareness for his Presence in Fatherhood campaign, stopping in Plett and George along the way.
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