GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The weather in George on Sunday 10 August would have sent most people diving for their blankets and hot chocolate.

Bitter winds whipped across the course, cold rain stung rosy cheeks, and the sky sulked in shades of grey.

Yet the athletes of the Eden Modern Pentathlon Laser Run Eden Champs of 2025 arrived undeterred and proceeded to deliver outstanding results. From the youngest competitor, a determined U9, to the oldest, a remarkable 84-year-old still clocking laps with focus and fire, the field was as diverse as it was inspiring.

In parallel, She Leads in Pentathlon was a programme run by the Eden Modern Pentathlon Association (MPA) in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), aiming to drive the growth and development of women and girls in sport.

For the event, a special developmental category was created, giving women and girls, many of whom had never been introduced to laser run before, the chance to learn the basics in a short introduction and then dive straight into their first race.

As the chairperson, Riaan Douglas, put it: "Days like this remind us that conditions can be miserable, but the spirit of our athletes is never dampened."

Members of She Leads in Pentathlon who attended. She Leads is a programme run by the Eden MPA in partnership with the DCAS, aiming to drive the growth and development of women and girls in the sport sector. Photos: Henk Neuhoff

Newcomer Layla Stuurman, part of the developmental team, smiled through the rain, saying: "I didn't think I could do it, but once I started, I didn't want to stop."

If Sunday's laser run was anything to go by, Eden's athletes are on a steady climb, building the skill, stamina and mindset that will carry them straight towards the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne's (UIPM) Biathle, Triathle and Laser Run World Championship in Mossel Bay in December, when the next big chapter of their story will be written on home soil.

And something tells us it's going to be worth watching.

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’